Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs recently defeated the New Orleans Pelicans during their visit to the Smoothie King Center in what was a surprising upset for NOLA toward the end of the season.
Wembanyama secured the Spurs’ victory with a last-possession block, with the game ending on a score of 111-109.
The Rookie star had a great outing that night, posting 17 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists, one steal and three blocks, while shooting 5/12 from the field and 3/6 from the three-point range in 34 minutes of playing time.
However, Wemby’s fun outing in the Southern city has also become a cause of concern for Spurs fans.
After the game, Wembanyama was asked about his time in New Orleans and what he thought of the city.
Covering Wembanyama’s response on X, Spurs beat writer, @JeffGSpursZone quoted Wemby saying,
“Right now, I’m craving home, so nothing can re-satisfy me except France, but I think it’s one of my favorite cities [New Orleans] that I’ve visited. Going to the restaurants, the food is pretty good. I just like the way the city looks, too.”
"Right now, I’m craving home, so nothing can re-satisfy me except France, but I think it’s one of my favorite cities [New Orleans] that I’ve visited. Going to the restaurants, the food is pretty good. I just like the way the city looks, too," – Victor Wembanyama on the city of…
— JeffGSpursKENS5 (@JeffGSpursZone) April 6, 2024
Wembanyama’s glowing review of New Orleans led fans on NBA Twitter/X to freak out and speculate if the Spurs rookie possibly had ulterior intentions with his comments.
Reacting to the 20-year-old center’s comments, one X user wrote, “He’s leaving to New Orleans isn’t he?”
Wemby called French-flavored New Orleans "one of my favorite cities that I visited…Food is pretty good and I just like the way the city looks."
— Tom Orsborn (@tom_orsborn) April 6, 2024
While another X user enthusiastically responded to the speculation. Adding to the noise, the commenter wrote, ” ZionXWemby”.
ZionXWemby🙏🏽 https://t.co/XH2yY5G0pk
— Simon🇪🇷 (@simonayele_23) April 6, 2024
Responding to Wembanyama’s comments, another user directed his question to Wemby himself, sharing a GIF which hilariously read “What do you mean by that?”
https://t.co/7IOpM8OUio pic.twitter.com/ctEn0z2mel
— Dr. Danny Sanders (@dannysanders80) April 6, 2024
While others speculated on Wembanyama’s off-season moves, one Spurs fan seemed to have already accepted the rumors to be true, reacting passionately, “No Wemby”.
No Wemby!!!! https://t.co/GI6B8uDgNp
— Tavarius (@1Tavarius) April 6, 2024
It’s safe to say that most of Wembanyama’s comments were made in a rather ‘innocent’ fashion, with the French national just sharing his views on the city of New Orleans.
Regardless of what fans may think, Wembanyama seems to be happy with his position in San Antonio.
With the season coming to an end, it will be interesting to see what kind of changes the French star makes in his game before stepping on the floor again next season.
Wembanyama’s season with the Spurs
Victor Wembanyama was drafted by the Spurs in the 2023 NBA draft with the first pick.
He has since delivered on the hype around him, cementing his case for winning Rookie Of The Year this season.
Even though the Spurs haven’t done so well this season, posting the worst record in the West (19-58), Wembanyama’s numbers have been rather impressive.
He has averaged 21.2 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists on 46.4% shooting, as he currently leads all rookies in points and blocks, while also making a case for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
As of now, Wembanyama has a great opportunity with the Spurs, as the team presents the best training ground for a foreign center like him.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is known for his experience training foreign players and has already done a great job coaching the 7’3 center.
So despite his comments praising NOLA, it’s unlikely that Wemby is looking to change teams in the near future.
