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At All-Star weekend last year, Victor Wembanyama was so serious about winning that he decided to find loopholes in the rules. He and then-San Antonio teammate Chris Paul were teamed up for the skills competition, thought they outsmarted it and wound up getting disqualified.
It wasn’t a great moment. But it was another example of how, to Wembanyama, winning is everything.
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He’s already one of the faces of the NBA, already one of the faces of the game on a global stage, and this All-Star weekend in California might only raise his stock even higher — if that’s even possible at this point. The Spurs’ 7-foot-4 center from France is going to be one of the stars on the international squad in this new U.S. vs. the World format, and Wembanyama is making clear that he’s playing to win.
Considering how most All-Star weekends have gone in recent years, the league might find that to be a refreshing change.
“I’ve seen the All-Star Game and obviously, it hasn’t been competitive,” Wembanyama said. “And I’ve always thought, myself, that if I was in there, I’m never stepping onto the court to lose or not care. Just like at home, I’m never stepping into a board game, not caring, thinking I’m going to lose or thinking it’s OK to lose.”
This is what might separate his approach from other All-Stars. He’s serious about board games. In recent years, All-Star may as well have been a bored game. All dunks and 3-pointers, which the league grew to despise. Nobody expects players to bring a Game 7, NBA Finals approach to the All-Star Game, but Commissioner Adam Silver has long wanted players to simply take it just a little bit seriously.
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Spurs coach Mitch Johnson will lead one of the two U.S. teams in the All-Star mini-tournament, meaning he’ll be coaching against Wembanyama in at least one game — possibly two if their respective squads get to the title game. He knows Wembanyama will play hard; that’s a given. What that means, we’ll all find out on Sunday.
“I think there can be a level of competitive and playing hard that can strike a balance in a game like that, where it…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/spurs-victor-wembanyama-always-wants-145632234.html
Author : TIM REYNOLDS
Publish date : 2026-02-12 14:56:00
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