21 October 2023 , 20:46
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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has rejected Steve Kerr's observation that he appears rejuvenated following the arrival of Victor Wembanyama.
There is significant anticipation surrounding the Frenchman after he was selected first-overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. And his pre-season performances have done nothing to dampen the excitement. In his most recent outing, he impressed against the Golden State Warriors, scoring 19 points to help the team earn a 122-117 win.
Following the game, Steve Kerr made an observation about rival coach Popovich. He is purported to have noticed a change in his opposite number, saying: "Pop is bouncing off the walls, he’s really excited."
However, the 74-year-old Spurs coach appears to have not taken well to Kerr's comments about his supposed rejuvenation. In a sarcastic rebuttal he joked joking: "What was I being rejuvenated from?"
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Going further, he made fun of the suggestion that he had gained a spring in his step after drafting Wembanyama. He added: "Was I in a mental institution? Was I depressed and curled up in my bedroom or something? Steve's an a******."
Effusive in his praise for the ex-ASVEL and Metropolitans 92 player, he said: "This guy [Victor Wembanyama] has had that hype for so long, kind of like LeBron [James] did. I compare him more to LeBron [James] than those two guys in that respect."
Providing some more insight into his relationship with Wembanyama, he said: "I found out very early talking to him that he kind of looked at me like, 'Why is this guy telling me all this stuff?'. Like, he already knows it, he has been through it."
Victor Wembanyama has arrived at the San Antonio Spurs to much fanfare and has impressed in pre-seasonEither way, Wemanyama appears to be relishing his work alongside Popovich, telling according to the San Antonio Express-News : "This is how I also recognize how good of a person he is, he just learns. He just learned to know me, quicker than almost anyone I’ve met in my life before."
During a 21-minute foray into the action against the Warriors, the 19-year-old certainly left his mark, blocking Klay Thompson's three-point attempt in the dying minutes of the first quarter before scoring a three-pointer down the other end. The 7ft 4in power forward would finish up with four rebounds and an assist from his cameo.
Such is the intrigue surrounding him that he is considered by many to be a leading contender to be named NBA rookie of the year. He has played four games for his new team this pre-season and his NBA debut could well come in the Spurs' season opener versus the Dallas Mavericks.