Victor Wembanyama celebrated his premiere in the NBA preparation. In a narrow loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the top talent contributed 20 points for the Spurs
Super talent Victor Wembanyama made his NBA preparation debut and scored 20 points. However, the Frenchman still lost 121-122 with the San Antonio Spurs at the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday night (local time). Wembanyama hit eight of his 13 shots and recorded five rebounds in his 19 minutes on the court.
“He just went out and played basketball,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We’re still figuring out where we can best use his skills. I’m not sure he’s even sure. But he’s a smart guy, so he’ll figure it out. “
Meanwhile, the 2.24m 19-year-old was self-critical: “I’m a rookie, so I have to play hard and give 100 per cent. I just tried to give energy all the time. But I can do better,” said Wembanyama, who was selected first overall in the NBA draft.
The Spurs will face Miami Heat in another preseason game on Friday (local time), with the regular season starting for Wembanyama and Co. on October 25 against international Maximilian Kleber and the Dallas Mavericks.
LeBron also plays for the first time in the current preparation
The most prominent player in the league at the moment, LeBron James, also played in preparation for the first time a good two weeks before the start of the season on 24 September. With the Los Angeles Lakers, James picked up a win against the Brooklyn Nets. In his 17 minutes, he recorded ten points, five assists and three rebounds.
Isaiah Hartenstein played 114-107 for the New York Knicks against the Boston Celtics. The centre played 20 minutes, scored nine points, grabbed three rebounds and set up three baskets for teammates.
