“Winning the Larry O’Brien is a childhood dream and having a real shot at it, having a chance, a tangible chance at winning it, realizing a dream, it’s a lifetime chance,” Wembanyama said to the NBC crew at the end of Game 7 against the OKC Thunder.
“You never know what’s going to happen again. The day we win it, it’s going to be an amazing day of realization of a dream. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
For the past 3 years I have watched almost all Victor Wembanyama’s games in a Spurs uniform.
For the most part, and despite the gravity of last year’s DVT, a possibly career-ending condition, Victor’s ascension has matched my wildest dreams. I started to watch his games when he was just 15 and got a silver medal at the U16 Euro Championship with France. This was the beginning of a trend resembling a curse… “the eternal second”. Silver at U16 Euro, silver at U19 Worlds, silver at Paris 2024 Olympics.
A curse?
In French sports lore, Raymond Poulidor, “The Cycling Legend Who Never Won” was also called the “Eternal Second”. Over a 17-year career, he finished on the podium of the Tour de France an incredible eight times, yet he never once wore the coveted yellow jersey. Despite missing the top step at the Tour, he was a great champion with 189 professional wins, but so often finishing second in major races.
Internally I started to develop a superstition, a fear, that Victor could become the next Poulidor.
This season a shift happened. Despite his calf injury in November, Victor’s ascension started to accelerate. My pre-season predictions for this team, a play-in at worst, and a 6th seed in the stacked West at best, were blown apart entirely by the team’s run starting February 1st. But superstition is a hard thing to shake. With Vic’s obvious rise, I was tempted to write my thoughts, share some basketball analytics with Pounding The Rock, but I was also scared I would be wrong, that I was counting my chickens before they had hatched. So, I kept my thoughts for myself.
Pilgrimage to the Alamo
In February, I finally made the trip to San Antonio. Almost a “childhood dream” of mine. My first time in Texas. I absolutely loved the vibrancy of the city and its people. I was there for the 2026 Western Heritage Parade & Cattle Drive, watching in awe longhorn bulls ridden by local cowboys and cowgirls in San Antonio streets, singing along both TexMex-inspired music and the Scottish marching band.
That morning, up early due to the jetlag, I also enjoyed a beautiful wander by the River Walk, all by myself, under a winter blue sky. Finally, 2 hours before tip-off, I made my way to the Frost Bank Center, checking numerous times that the ticket I had bought online 5 months before was still in my Ticketmaster app, that it wasn’t a scam and pinching myself that I would, finally, see the Championships banners hanging up in the rafters, see the Spurs homecourt, the Spurs players and Victor Wembanyama.
As I arrived early, I was almost first in line for the security check, and made my way to the main glass doors, upfront, where I could see the Spurs dancing squad warming up and rehearsing. When the doors finally opened, I made my way to section 101, row 9, and the seat closest to the tunnel!
Some players were on the court doing shooting drills with their respective trainer. DeAaron Fox was very impressive from the 3-point line, so fluid. Then Devin Vassell walked just past me, emerging from the tunnel, on his way to the Spurs bench. He is so much thinner in real life than I expected. His muscles are super lean, and he walks with a mix of regal demeanor and nonchalance. Quite the combination!
Finally, Vic arrived and started shooting free throws, a mere 10 meters from me, towering everything around him. Felix Wembanyama arrived too and sat courtside opposite to the bench players.
This was the second game against the Mavs in 2 days. The Spurs had won in Dallas where both Vic and Cooper were sensational. Although this time was not Cooper Flagg’s best game, I was nonetheless impressed. Very competitive, fluid, good handles and a much better shooting stroke, especially from 3, than I anticipated.
The star of the night, though, was our very “Stephan WOW Castle”, to qu0te Floyd. A 40-12-12 triple-double masterpiece. You had to be there to feel his energy. His will power. Absolutely incredible. The whole crowd was just pumped up, feeding off Steph’s energy.
Close Encounter Of The Third Kind – Wemby the Alien
During the game, Vic went to one of the gym bikes under the tunnel to keep warm, with Guillaume Alquier by his side. We exchanged a couple of words, in French, but he quickly stopped there and just smiled back, clenched his fist in appreciation of my mentioning of Nanterre, his youth club, but that was it. Vic is Vic. Always 100% focused during a game.
The San Antonio Spurs legacy
After the game, I went back to Downtown San Antonio, enjoyed a nighttime River Walk perambulation. The atmosphere was just so friendly. I was just on cloud nine.
Visiting San Antonio, attending a Spurs game had been a dream of mine for almost 30 years, since Timmy was drafted to play alongside my favorite – at the time – player, David Robinson. Growing up, I had posters of the Admiral covering the wall above my bed. Since then, French players had started to play for the Spurs: Tony Parker, Ian Mahinmi, Nando De Colo (all selected via draft picks) and of course Boris Diaw… making my passion for the Spurs even stronger, more personal.
But nothing compares to what was coming. In my wildest dreams, I wanted Victor Wembanyama to join the Spurs. The 16th of May 2023, I was in a meeting, with my cellphone next to me, waiting for the results of the lottery. First. Pick. San. Antonio. Spurs.
I knew then and there. I would have to visit San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama was about to join the best organization possible, not only on paper, but for him, as he is unique and needs to be free to grow and maximize his potential.
The 2026 NBA Finals
It took only 3 years… And to quote Vic again “You never know what’s going to happen again. The day we win it, it’s going to be an amazing day of realization of a dream. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
And for me, I had to make it happen. I had to visit San Antonio. That’s how you make your dreams come true. You control what is in your control. I planned it, saved some money, and did it.
And these young Spurs, they are going to the 2026 NBA Finals knowing that “You never know what’s going to happen again”, thus you never squander an opportunity in front of you.
I can now go back to my analytics, thinking about every match ups the Finals have to offer.
Vic and the Spurs have won the Western Conference Finals, he is the WCF MVP.
He is on a path to realization.
