NBA FINALS: KNICKS VS. SPURS

June 4, 2026

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

Practice Day

Q. I know you're thinking about the moment here, coming back from 1-0. If you could take a step back, after the loss in Paris to the U.S., you said, I'm worried for opponents in a couple years.

Someone said, who do you mean?

You said, everybody.

Do you ever think about those words and use them to chart your course of how far you've come since that night?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: No, I don't.

Q. The fact that you guys have dealt with some things in this postseason -- concussion, down to Minnesota, down to OKC -- it has not been an easy ride to get here. Does that give you any comfort in knowing that this team has been able to handle challenges that have been put in front of it?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Yes, it's very reassuring. We know we're not here by chance. We've been through some weird -- what do you call it -- weird situations, whatever.

Yes, it's reassuring to know that these guys, the 18 guys we got, are built this way, are resilient.

Q. You seem very calm. In the OKC series you seemed pretty tense as the series went on. Why do you seem to be calmer now? How are you handling just the pressure in the moment?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: I don't know. I'm just speaking with my heart and reacting in my heart, so...

I can't answer that question. An explanation would be, as the series goes on, you get closer to qualification or elimination. Tension level normally rises.

Q. I know Pop has talked to you after some big moments throughout this run. Did he say anything to you either last night or this morning?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: I haven't talked to him yet. But yes, he's texted me.

Q. Do you care to expound on what that text entailed?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: In the big lines it was that I've been bad and I'm better than this.

Q. There was a lot of talk for the Knicks' side of how they were going to defend you, what players they were going to use. They settled on using Towns a lot. What did you make of the Towns matchup defensively? Do you plan on making any adjustments?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Really I think the reason we lost that game isn't even technical. It's not even technical, tactical. We need to approach the game with a better mental state. We just need to play our game. We just need to be normal.

We don't need to do anything incredible.

Q. You've mentioned you need to be normal. You said that last night, again just now. Coach was just in here talking about it felt like you guys didn't do the right things as a team, that it was kind of just relying on your talent. What do you think “normal” means for you guys?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: 'Normal' means trusting each other, trusting the basketball gods, trusting the game plan, executing, and not relying on talent so much to make shots or to save the day.

We've been playing a certain way all season. We've been successful this way. There's no reason to change the day the Finals start.

Q. When you're guarding smaller players, what is required different for you as opposed to bigs? How do you walk the line between attending to the man you're guarding and being available at the rim?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: It's an interesting question. I guess to answer we could talk for half an hour with my coaching staff.

For me guarding smaller players, it's quickness of feet. It's true that it is a little difficulty. Like, I'm still learning, but I've learned a lot to change the mindset between guarding the rim and guarding a small.

I really need to flip a switch.

Q. You've talked so much about your routine off the court -- sleep, peace, control. I wonder in this environment, how are you handling the juggling act? You have more media, chaos, more noise. Is that impacting you right now?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: No, it's not. The thing that's impacting my routine the most right now is that we're practicing at the arena and not at the facility. The driving time is a little bit longer.

Thank you.