EMIRATES NBA CUP

December 15, 2025

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

Championship Practice Day

Q. After the game the other night, you mentioned being happy to be part of a team that plays pure and ethical basketball. What do you mean by that phrase?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: That's exactly the question I was asked in French, so I'm just going to repeat myself. Basically my answer is simply going to be that in modern basketball we see a lot of brands of basketball that don't offer much variety in the dangers they pose to the opponents. Lots of isolation ball. Sometimes kind of forced basketball.

We try to propose a brand of basketball that can be described as more old school sometimes, the Spurs' way, as well. It's tactically more correct basketball, in my opinion.

Q. It's not the ultimate trophy in this league, obviously, but it is a trophy. Like you pointed out the other night, you guys for the first time you've been here are winning much more than you lose. Winning this trophy, what step would that represent for this group if you guys got it done tomorrow?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: It's not going to be a super significant step, but still a significant one, because it's a high-stakes game that both teams are going to be very invested in winning. It just shows that we are preparing and we will pass the next step for more significant games in the playoffs.

As competitors, this is a complicated explanation, but it's as simple as that: As competitors, we want to win every game, and this one brings something new on the table, so we want to win it even more.

Q. What's your philosophy on trash talk? The other night it seemed like you were feeling yourself a little bit. Should you have a filter or does anything go?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: No, I think you should always have -- oh, I don't know. I don't know. Having a filter, it's a very -- it's a philosophical question. But trash talk, for me, can be used for two things: Either disrupt the opponent or give yourself and your team more energy, some sort of -- yeah.

Some things like that on the court, you don't want to control and you don't want to have a filter because it goes with the flow of the game and you're not trying to stop -- if you want to do it, as long as it doesn't hurt the team and it's still correct in a humanly way, you don't want to stop yourself from doing that if you're in that momentum.

I don't know, as long as it's natural and not forced.

Q. Is it ethical?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: The border of ethical and not ethical on the court is more difficult to observe.

Q. You talked some earlier in the season about the differences in shot selection last year versus this year. If it wasn't a focus, at least thinking about that over the off-season. What's that actually look like in terms of film review and on the practice court if you're running drills to actually bring a different shot selection mindset to the league this year?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: It starts with every shot being reviewed. Every single shot of every season, every game. Yeah, just a relentless focus, because in my position being a big, the game is much more physical, like the impacts are much more physical.

It's always a fight with yourself and with your opponent to keep going toward the rim and to not fade away because it's too easy when you get bumped to just fade away, but always going toward the rim to get the most efficient shots. That's always a mental fight.

Q. What are the conversations going to look like with you and Mitch about whether you start tomorrow or come off the bench? What are your thoughts on it?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: It's going to be a mix of different opinions. But at the end of the day, I'm ready. Even if I would have my own opinion, it will also be based on my thoughts and the thoughts of the staff. I just said a bunch of nothing. But basically we're going to discuss it.

Q. I know you guys are playing the Knicks, but after a game like the other night, I'm curious as to what you think about this budding rivalry you have with OKC?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: I think we're not quite there yet, but it's a good sign that people see that it's possible because it's not like we're the second seed right now. I don't think anybody right now can claim to have a rivalry with them in the league. They're in their own tier.

But in the future if we can provide a stage this good and we reach that level, of course it would be great to have a rivalry because if you're at the top and you have a rivalry, it means you're in the best position to win titles. I'm very interested by it.