Victor Wembanyama on the knicks “It’s a great team of experienced guys who are not here by chance, but by relentless effort over the years…they’re right where they are supposed to be”
What is this, a microphone for ants?
The mic has to be at least… three times bigger than this!
MY GOD HE’S RIGHT!
No, it’s for Wembys. Ant isn’t in the playoffs anymore.
For real. A handheld mic is an average of like 7-8” long and the mic flag (cube thing with the NBA app logo) is the size of a Rubik’s cube to put into perspective…
Reminds me of when I saw shaq hold a water bottle
Or Andre the Giant hold a 12oz beer can.
the angle was bad and wemby is huge
Nah prob normal sized, dude just has foot long fingers. My first thought too lol.
Wemby looked at a normal microphone and said, “Nah, scale it down.”
I keep thinking lack of experience is gonna get them and it may still but it’s getting tougher and tougher to doubt these dudes
They won 3 playoffs series including one against the defending champs, at this stage they are no longer inexperienced.
There were definitely moments in the conference finals where I felt like the Spurs inexperience showed, especially with Stephon Castle.
I mean Caruso tried to end his season on fast break layups twice
Caruso just wanted to show him the season-ending experience
The CaruSHOW
[deleted]
Never pulled a guy to the ground mid jump from behind tbh
Definitely. Harper had those moments too. Frustration fouls, getting fooled by pump fakes, telegraphing passes that get picked off, etc.
It isn’t as if plenty of experienced players don’t bite on pump fakes.
It happens to everyone but the young Spurs seem to stay rattled longer than you’d hope. They are still mature beyond what you’d expect but I think the youth shows up from time to time.
I don’t know, Fox (the veteran by the teams standards) tried to show SGA the door but jumping out his way and called for a foul. Carter Bryant (rookie) just decided to run through him. Both fouls can be frustrating from the fan perspective but I see a lot of experience gained during this run
i like to believe the carter bryant foul was intentional hahaha
well it certainly looked like it was lmao
Stephon was the primary ball handler vs one of the strongest defensive back courts we’ve seen in years. The whole team (other than Fox) struggled the move the ball up court
He had to be exhausted too. The only ball handler for 2 games and plays defense like a hellhound.
Hes also usually the one who plays the most minutes.
We gotta remember that Steph Castle even younger than Vic. Yet he is being asked to handle the ball and defend Shai. That is an insane assignment for a 2nd year player.
And Ant. And Deni.
You’re absolutely right. Plenty of those moments. A really experienced team would learn how to avoid those moments. The Spurs are new to this (most of the roster anyways) but they have a good mentality and culture. They may still make “young team” mistakes, but they also clearly possess a confidence and ability to shrug them off, where a lesser team wouldn’t.
Maybe I’m just talking out my ass idk. Series should be awesome, I’m so pumped.
I fully agree with you. The youth shines through a lot and it is almost always positive but of course they have moments where you see some frustration. It’s natural but they are a very, very good team that can absoutely win. This series will be awesome for some but for me it will just be a heart attack waiting to happen.
There’s been moments in every series. I think it cost us a game in both the first and second rounds.
we’re inexperienced in reps but not by post-season situations I think
Yeah absolutely, besides the double ot game, most of the spurs wins have been by large margins, which is impressive. But the spot were inexperience can hurt, will be tight games with under 2 to play. Again they showed it in game 1, but its still something to look out for.
Just imagine how good they’ll be 3 to 5 seasons from now
His turnovers were frustrating against OKC. Hoping he works on that
MSG in the Finals is something I’ve never seen before
Neither has the Knicks, to be fair. How old was Jalen Brunson in ‘99?
3.
Oldest Knick (Jordan Clarkson) was 7.
like 3 but his dad was on the team so he probably did watch it
Also, three of starters won multiple titles together in college. That’s still a very big stage they have experience in.
And one was in an Olympic final
The only “inexperience” they’d have is not having a built endurance to play this far into the post season.
We saw it in Game 6 and 7 with Wemby. He looked tired as all hell.
Overall, they’re skilled enough to be where they are.
Knicks in 6 though 🙏🏿
They low key stopped a dynasty
Yeah after the Wolves and Thunder they got their sea legs.
That’s like saying someone who dated a lot when they were young must surely be experienced.
More seriously, a lot of experience comes from time and reflection. This young Spurs crew hasn’t had time to do either. They haven’t had time to gameplan for a year, or train the summer in anticipation of a deep run.
They’re still inexperienced. They’re on an adrenaline high now, and they are hugely adaptable. But they’re still inexperienced.
Against the shitblazers, the crippled Twolves, and the Thunder with no Jdub or Mitchell. Just btw. Gotta keep things in context because people out there saying the Knicks had “the easier path” (Every team the knicks played were fully healthy other than Embiid not being 100% and missing 1 game)
Tatum didn’t play Game 7 tho.
We didn’t play the Celtics in the playoffs
Lmao I forgot, but I wanted yall to play in the playoffs but Celtics choked
They just beat the Thunder in 7 and people still want to talk about lack of experience give me a break
Inexperienced but they have a lot of experience around them from good vets to upper management. Even with a young core, they speak and act with a certain mental makeup that is beyond their years thus far.
Yeah that without a doubt has contributed heavily to this run
Also they might be NBA playoff inexperienced, but not big game inexperienced. Things like Wemby in the Olympics in his home country and Castle on UConn matter. So while as a unit they might not have experience, individually they have done some things.
Holy shit you can knock off a 67 win, defending champs with the back to back mvp in 7 games and dumb mfs will still talk about experience.
The last team to knock off a 67 win defending champion team in 7 games was the 2015 Clippers.
makes me hope you guys win it all. i cant imagine the saltiness from these losers crying about experience as if he hasnt shown the leadership most teams would kill for
And they’re facing a team that has reached the finals for the first time this millennium. If anything it’s the Knicks that could have trouble being inexperienced, having only faced weak or tired opponents so far.
This is a weird siloed take
All of the Knicks starting vets have played in big time playoff games multiple times in their career.
Ah yes, i’m sure Jalen Brunson, KAT, OG, Josh Hart and Mikal bridges feels inexperienced. “only faced weak or tired opponents so far” as opposed to the spurs who faced.. 0 fully healthy teams
We sitting in here, and Wemby supposed to be the franchise player, and we in here talking about experience. I mean, listen, we’re talking about experience, man. What are we talking about? Experience? We’re talking about experience, man. We’re talking about experience. We’re talking about experience. We ain’t talking about the game. We’re talking about experience.
R/unexpectedlasso
No one has experience, until they do
We still on this lack of experience bit? Lmao
When the Spurs FO didn’t make a move at the trade deadline (despite having over $30M in expirings and spare picks), I thought it was a sign they thought the team would improve more from gaining experience and familiarity over the back half of the season rather than picking up more depth.
And when you look at all the different situations that have happened in this playoff run so far, it’s tough to still say they’re inexperienced. The concussion, winning without Wemby, closing out series at home and on the road, having home court to start and being the road team to start, physical play, Victor’s ejection, 2OT, winning without Fox, playing hurt, being down 3-2, closing out in game 7–just a crazy run so far.
Stupid, sexy, classy Wemby
Speaking of sexy, Wemby doesn’t get talked about enough for how beautiful he is 😂 As a straight woman, I’m always in awe of his bone structure
As a straight man, I’m always thinking about his bone structure.
This can only be typed legally in June.
Raises pitchforks
Checks date
Lowers pitchforks
huh huh.. she said.. bone structure
I mean, if everything is to scale.
He’s… wearing nothing at all?
Sometimes Knicks fans have misinterpreted Wemby since he can be very blunt with his emotions, but he’s pretty clearly been complimentary and respectful of this Knicks team for a while. This should be a fun series and I hope we can stay semi cordial once the games actually start lol
We don’t dislike him at all. We appreciate this take. We criticized the take he had around the nba cup bc it described how we played under thibs
We’ll probably dislike him by the end but that’s how it goes
He hadn’t yet played the Knicks under Brown, that was our first game of the season against yall
He should have watched the film
I think part of that came from English not being his first language and he sometimes uses a word in the wrong context.
Tbh in hindsight, I’m sure if he found better words to say on the spot, he’d probably say it instead.
He’s generally been a complimentary type of dude, except if you’re Chet.
Part of it is him being French also. The French are really blunt (even more than German). They just got their ass covered because their language sounds so beautiful.
comment oses tu vieux blédard
I don’t really have a problem with him.
TBH Unless you’re a hated rival, Knicks fans don’t have much of a reason to bring others down to feel better about ourselves these last few years.
But as with any fanbase, I’m sure there are Knicks fans that do. And I can usually tell they are new 😂
no offense but I fully expect there to be a good bit of toxic knicks fans being loud and i’m kinda rooting for yall as yalls window is a bit more closed than the spurs and new york might burn to the ground like worse than when the eagles won the super bowl which would be funny because I feel the cops would be participating in the arson. (i’m pretty 50⁄50 and just hoping for good basketball and happy the thunder are out)
In a fan base this large there will be idiots.
I feel like there’s a portion of Knicks fans doing a bit. But thats hard to know on the internet. And then another portion of Knicks fans is taking the bit seriously lol
I dont really dislike him at all. The “unsophisticated” comment was probably the deepest cut he ever put on the Knicks but even then it was jokes. This will be a good series.
I have nothing but respect for Wemby. However, for the next 2 weeks he is my sworn enemy.
Its the state of media rn. Every clip will get ran through the perfect echo chambers to make people hate or love him, nothing in between. Wolves, OKC, and now knicks fans already have started the hate train on wemby. It’s normal, sure, but every year it seems to get more and more polarized, with fewer in between.
Speak for yourself my guy 😂
he’s only been that way since he lost the nba cup finals
he will definitely be the face of the NBA when Bron is gone
Already is tbh
Winning a championship would cement it.
To me this Thunder Spurs series felt like his breakout series as far as casual fans go.
If the Spurs win a championship, or Spurs lose but Wemby plays out of his mind, I think it cements him as the face for people who watch games.
LeBron will still be the face for your average Joe until he retires at the earliest imo
Yeah, Wemby’s rise has been meteoric but let’s not act like Bron, KD, and Steff are not the faces of the NBA currently.
The Tyler Kolek disrespect smh
He’d be so offended if he could read
Pacome Dadiet and Mo Diawara are going to show the world who will lead French hoops for the next decade.
Lebron not retiring last year will be the biggest mistake of his career.
Who?
If Wemby gets this ring, I’m starting the Wemby > Jordan convo immediately.
I love Wemby to death but these types of takes are simply idiotic.
Wake me up when Wemby wins 4 rings, 4 MVPs, 4 FMVPs, 21 All-NBA selections, scores 50k points, etc. Lol
go to sleep nephew, you got school tomorrow
I would argue Steph is more so, if not even, with Bron. Our gen’s Magic/Bird.
Not even close.
How can you hate on Wemby
Naz Reid has valid reasons
Naz Reid doesn’t hate Wemby considering he’s a grown man and not a little bitch
So did Wemby’s elbow 😂. Imagine if they’d just called all the fouls at the beginning of the possession. Didn’t the NBA literally say that themselves in the justification for no suspension?
Alright, but he’s gotta get over it.
He got over it the day after, Reddit just acts like Reid hates him which he doesn’t
Should focus more on being the strong silent type imo
Naz Reid doesn’t have to hate the guy just like we don’t need to pretend like it never happened or absolve Wemby of any guilt
Crying at no one understanding the Sopranos reference
Naz Reid, whatever happened there
Why?
Because Wemby is better and stacks more paper and gets more girls
“I stack paper to the ceiling and ride on 24 inch chrome”
Absolutely.
Rides on 24” chrome
Naz Reid
Pepperidge Farm remembers >:(
He did, but he can’t remember them
“Pain is weakness leaving the body.” Enough said.
You were supposed to type it twice though. Bro learned his new favorite phrase and used it twice that day ha
Im from NY. We hate everything.
speak for yourself
besides the obvious of wanting to sweep the spurs and win in 4, there’s no hate for Wemby or the Spurs
Agreed. It’s not all like “real” hate though. It’s just like an icebreaker. Real hard to explain out here in LA lol
Putting aside the elbow to Naz, I find his hypocrisy on “ethical basketball” pretty annoying.
Hate is too strong because it’s not like I root against him, I just don’t root for him.
Wemby is better off. With me in his corner, he’ll probably turn into Patrick Williams.
What’s the hypocrisy?
What hypocrisy? He’s not exactly flopping all over the court. Plus elbow aside he’s been quite restrained from reacting to physical play against him
https://www.reddit.com/r/Nbamemes/s/SHOBtIzRz3
He’s literally the guy who made the term mainstream lol
oh my bad lol i didn’t see that press I just saw it now ur right
We used to say this about Durant :-(
I think anyone there’s hate in a player like this it’s under the assumption that they’re being disingenuous but Wemby just seems very authentic
Actually Victor Wembenyama is not on the Knicks, he is on the Spurs
We should change that. We’re happy to make room if he’d like a new home. Maybe we can revisit that with him after the series
Even as a Knicks fan, I think it would be pretty dope for Wemby to be a one team guy tbh he’s truly got GOAT potential and usually those guys move around at least a little bit at that level
I mean he’s going to be for a long time since there’s a 0.0000% chance the Spurs ever trade him anytime soon
My god, thats Nico Harrison’s music!
nah i want him on the knicks lil man he could crack me if he needs to
Bro has wanted to be a Spur since he was a child, and he’s pretty their franchise cornerstone. I cannot imagine a scenario where he leaves the Spurs, especially with that team’s reputation for hanging onto their superstars for their whole careers.
heard you the first time lol
He’s so thoughtful when he speaks, I can’t believe he’s only 22
I can’t help but hear Werner Herzog when he speaks here.
Okay, now I hear that 🤣
No Wemby the people on reddit said we’re a trash team who are frauds. I think i believe them over you sorry
I keep forgetting how deep this guys voice is omg
Brother if a 7’6 giant had the voice of a little boy I’d be shook
ill never root for an opponent. and if the Knicks lose (fuck that tho, Knicks in 4) ill be pissed and sad for days and weeks. however, Wemby’s spurs is literally the only team in the west playoffs that i wouldn’t hate forever just for beating us in the finals. fuck Oklahoma.
I think we’re all just happy we can root for a team instead of root against a team.
Amen bro. Insane rooting against a team and now I can just lose my mind watching a great series instead of hate watching
It is so confusing, I don’t know how to watch a series where I don’t hate one or both teams
Can I…. enjoy basketball???? Legitimately the difference between this and the WCF is insane.
For what it’s worth, if the Spurs weren’t in the finals I’d be rooting for the Knicks.
I was going to upvote this, but Knicks in 4 disqualified it
thanks for letting me know
This guy truly is a class act.
Gonna be a great series
I want to be Wemby when I grow up (I’m 35)
Imagine being that well spoken in your second language.
It feels like a lot of people are kind of writing off the Knicks but I feel like it’s closer than most would admit
Brunson is different than SGA, and will have to be gameplanned as such. He’s quicker, way more willing to shoot 3 (7.1 attempts/game vs SGA’s 4.4), but most importantly has way more options to pass to. Knicks have more shooters than OKC did without Jdub
KAT is a true stretch compared to Ihart or Chet so Wemby will camp out the paint less. OG is about as good as you can ask for from anyone to slow down Wemby or defend the perimeter
I still think Spurs are the favorite to win but this isn’t going to be a 4 game blow out sweep
No way, most talking heads have Knicks going all the way.
This dude is going to retire at 25. And then you’ll hear about him climbing Everest and shit.
Why does Victor hold the mic like he’s about to sample a finely aged bourbon.
French
Hand size.
Respect, King
That was an unbelievable answer. Wemby’s the man
subtext “they old”
I see we’re using the toy mic
Wembanyana President Obama Fvck my baby momma
Knicks in 5
Ethical basketball , ethical guys.
Guy speaks better English better than most American born NBA players despite it being his second language
They’re right where they’re supposed to be
That’s some Robert McCall mf badassery. He’s equalizing the league already
So much love for Wemby
Y
“They’re right where they are supposed to be”. I know this is a compliment but this also sounds incredibly ominous like “they’ve fallen right into my trap”.
Well said Wemby…Lets get it on
Grit and team building vs lottery luck
Had to give up 5 first rounders for Mikal, got blasted for signing Brunson, had to give up Randle for KAT, had to give up RJ and Quickley for OG, and drafted Robinson/McBride in the second round
The Spurs had a few lottery balls go right and Fox forced his way there and they traded dog crap for him
i get what you’re saying, but incompetence ruins talent all the time. They are one of the best run teams in sports. If wemby ended up on the trailblazers with their owner cutting staff left and right or the pelicans where the owner seems indifferent to winning its a different story
I mean Julian Champagnie was a crazy pickup cant lie
Harper too is a fucking amazing pick up. When I saw him stop Castle from doing a dumb thing I was like where is the inexperience
Have to credit the Spurs on drafting Castle at 4 tho.
3 teams passed on him.
The Rockets took Reed Sheppard one pick before - “ouch”
He was the best choice available at 4 and kinda obvious. I think where the spurs deserve the most credit is the development that went into him (among others).
Same for Carter Bryant
i don’t think they deserve that much credit for drafting a guy exactly in the range everyone expected him to go at.
if anything we should be mocking the rockets for taking Reed over him
How’s it going with Zion, then? Must have won a couple of rings for the Pelicans by now, right?
I’d give the Spurs a little more grace then attributing their success merely to lottery luck lol
Yeah it’s one thing to get the picks for sure that’s luck but to put it all together coherently and get other guys to complement the lotto picks takes skill
How’s y’all’s number one pick doing?
Plenty of teams get lucky in the lottery. A lot of them still screw it up. The Spurs have been super lucky but they usually don’t f it up when they do.
There have been multiple posts of pop and the other OGs helping him publicly. It’s not luck Wemby is in the finals.
Knicks had 5 straight years of top 10 picks post Melo era. Not like they were short on good draft picks. They were just bad at drafting. At least they realized they were better off spending their draft capital on getting established players.
Lol. Grab some tissue already.
As certain teams have shown you, you can get high picks but that doesnt exactly translate to success. While Spurs surely got lucky, they still picked really good players and have developed them well thus far.