San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama spoke with reporters Saturday after his team fell 94-90 to the New York Knicks, closing a 4-1 NBA Finals series loss.
The young Spurs certainly showcased the talent needed to win the Finals, but they struggled holding leads and closing games.
This is a learning experience for the team, and Wembanyama told reporters he is “learning more than any other time in my life” right now.
Wembanyama went from missing the playoffs over his first two seasons to leading the Spurs to 62 wins and a Western Conference title. This team has a bright future with Wembanyama, who finished third in the NBA MVP voting, leading the way. He’s learned a lot this year as well.
The big man acknowledged how well the team did for large stretches. In fact, the Spurs led in the final two minutes in three of their four losses and were tied in the final two minutes of Game 5. However, San Antonio couldn’t pull through down the stretch.
Wembanyama understands that the team has to be more consistent going forward.
The road to the NBA Finals is long, and Wembanyama knows that as well. The Spurs went through exactly 100 games (82 regular season games, 18 playoffs) before even reaching the championship this year. Now the Spurs have to start over without winning the NBA Finals after a heartbreaking end to the year.
Wemby also ended his press conference in this fashion.
Overall, this was a great season for Wembanyama and the Spurs, but they fell just short. San Antonio should certainly be back contending next year, though, in search of the franchise’s sixth NBA title.
