Victor Wembanyama of the Spurs acknowledges wishing to “steal” from Kevin Durant.
Victor Wembanyama gives us a glimpse on how he approaches improving his game.
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama might only be 20 years old, but he already has the mindset of a superstar. Like Kobe Bryant who trained with Hakeem Olajuwon, the latest NBA Rookie of the Year wants to learn from the NBA’s greatest players. For Wembanyama, it’s Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant.
In a recent interview on French television, the fresh Olympian reveals his personal approach to improving his game.
“Clearly this is my personal childhood favorite,” he said. “He became my favorite player…I made it clear to him that I wanted to learn from him and perhaps only steal 1 or 2 of his secret techniques.”
These comments came after Wembanyama’s spectacular performance for Team France at the 2024 Olympics. While the French may have lost to Team USA in the gold medal game, they enjoyed a valiant effort from their superstar, who led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 3-of-8 from three. He also grabbed seven rebounds, handed out two assists, and had one steal.
Now, this sample might only cover one game, but it already reflects the diverse skillset that makes Victor Wembanyama a generational prospect and potentially unguardable when he reaches his full potential. It’s one thing to be seven-foot-four, but it’s another to be that big and move quickly on the floor like a wing and handle the ball like a guard.
Watch him play and you might think it’s not so unreasonable for Wembanyama to have Kevin Durant as his favorite player. The six-foot-eleven forward has become the modern NBA’s prototype for tall wings who can put the ball on the floor and shoot from anywhere on the court.
However, the French superstar might have the edge on the defensive side of the ball. Besides winning Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama was also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, ultimately losing out to Minnesota Timberwolves big man and compatriot Rudy Gobert.
Moreover, the Spurs have signed Chris Paul in free agency to mentor Wembanyama and help his teammates learn to play with a bonafide superstar, which they lacked since Tim Duncan’s retirement and Kawhi Leonard’s departure. Look for Wembanyama to improve on his averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.9 assists, on splits of 46.5% from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc.
