Spurs' Victor Wembanyama reportedly shut down for rest of Summer League after 2 games
Victor Wembanyama came, he saw, he eventually conquered — and now he's reportedly being granted some rest after two Summer League games in Las Vegas.
The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick has been shut down for the remainder of Summer League after playing two games over the weekend, according to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News.
Can report Victor Wembanyama is now 100% finished with summer league, per the Spurs.
All along, two games was the plan. Spurs wanted him to get a taste of the NBA, and he got it. Team saw what it wanted to see, now giving him a break after a busy 12 months.— Mike Finger (@mikefinger) July 10, 2023
The 19-year-old French phenom played his first game in a Spurs uniform in front of a sold-out crowd Friday and admitted he felt a little lost on the court after recording nine points in his debut. Of course, he wowed with 27 points with 12 rebounds in his second effort, an 85-80 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The second performance didn't come as a surprise for anyone who followed Wembanyama in France’s LNB Pro A Finals. He scored eight points for Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 against Monaco, which eventually won the championship in three games. But like in Summer League, Wembanyama improved in Game 2 with 19 points and seven rebounds. In Game 3, he recorded 22 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
With such a short turnaround between his French league finale on June 15 and the NBA Draft, it was unclear if Wembanyama would even appear in Summer League due to his plethora of obligations in the upcoming months.
Well-earned rest for Wembanyama
He was initially slated to head to Indonesia in late August where he would have represented France in the FIBA World Cup, a 17-day tournament between 32 other teams from around the world.
Wembanyama later told L’Equipe newspaper that he would rest instead.
“The French team is as central to my career as ever. I want to win every title I can with them. But to achieve that, this summer is a necessary sacrifice,” he said.
It was a departure from the eagerness Wembanyama displayed to the media ahead of the draft as he expressed his desire to play in Summer League and the World Cup, assuring reporters that he wasn't "too tired."
Considering that the French league's scoring leader isn't far removed from playing in 48 games in France, he likely made the right choice as he prepares for the NBA's long 82-game regular season.
It seemed like Wembanyama was everywhere in the days leading up to the draft in New York, even throwing out the ceremonial first pitch for the Yankees after fans crowded his arrival at the airport.
He soon experienced a different side of fan culture as Britney Spears' supporters reacted to Wembanyama's security allegedly striking the pop star in an effort to protect him. Video later emerged showing that Spears' hand actually hit her own face.
Having to address that experience likely contributed to Wembanyama's Sunday declaration that he would “disappear from the media” for the rest of the offseason, something he'll hopefully be able to do during his time away from the court.
