NBA FINALS: KNICKS VS. SPURS

June 9, 2026

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

Practice Day

Q. We saw the photo of you at the park drawing. Is that more important in a space like New York than other cities? What was on that mind-clearing itinerary between landing and Game 3, what did you do to relax in the city?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: I'm not going to tell you. It's not really New York City. It's just Playoffs.

Q. Yesterday you had this comment about when you're on the road it feels like you're playing five on six, same when you're at home in the opposite direction. You kind of smiled. Do you like that a little bit? Is it kind of fun for you to be in that scenario where there's an additional player against you?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Oh yeah. Both scenarios are very exciting. This is why I like lively crowds, you know, active crowds both at home -- it's always active at home -- but both at home and on the road.

At home it's an extra motivation because you want to give the people who support you a good show. On the road you want to do the opposite.

Q. I know you've heard for a couple years now you have to fail in the Playoffs before you can succeed. What you're trying to do is so unusual. Part of the equation is, can you learn fast enough during the Playoffs that you don't have to fail first, you can succeed all the way. What have you learned in this first run through the Finals that you can apply in real-time so you can finish what you started here?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: We will see. But my bet would be yes, it's possible. What we've learned? I mean, many things over these Playoffs. Many things. Brace with your hands and not with your chin. Hit below the head, if you do. Many other things. But most importantly be relentless.

Q. You opened the game with a real flurry yesterday. Was that a particular point of emphasis for you getting established lower on the floor early in the game?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Not yesterday more than any other game. But especially early in games, yeah, you have to put pressure on the rim because it's the most efficient shot. Then we look for other options.

Q. This is kind of not basketball related, but given your involvement with the fan base in San Antonio and the Jackals and all that, what are your thoughts about some of these fans getting attacked outside of Madison Square Garden?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Fans got attacked?

Q. Yes.

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: I didn't know that.

My thoughts of course is that we can't forget it's a game. We're just playing a game out there. I am all for passion, but to the respect of each other. It's unacceptable.

Q. You've worked so much over your career on your proprioception, awareness of where you are in space. You're able to do things, like you can knock the ball out of the air to dunk it, things we don't see other players do. How have you built that over the years? How has that helped you going up against the hardest defense you've ever faced probably?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: I think the key -- say you had a young player that you were trying to teach this to, the key would be to not play on your strengths all the time, especially in development. I've received this one piece of advice a long time ago. Basically said, like, as a kid you're not working for the present right now. Right now me, myself, I'm working for right now. I don't even care about next season. We have to win Game 4.

As a kid, whether you're 10, 13, 16 years old, you're working for the future. You're trying to develop your range of skills. I would say long story short, play on your weaknesses, not only your strengths.

Q. You've had three years of seeing teams try to do a bunch of different things to defend you. In what ways have you gotten better at dissecting what they're doing on the floor in real-time?

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: I think I got much, much better at it because watching film of the previous years, sometimes I was just shooting shots. Even still to this day. Sometimes it goes in.

But the efficiency, the purposefulness is so much better now.

Q. In my opinion, you changed it a lot in Game 3. How do you keep that momentum? I seen you were going inside a lot more.

VICTOR WEMBANYAMA: Yeah, I said the goal is always to go inside. The best shot in the game is an alley-oop. The most efficient shot. But teams don't just let you do that.

What we've built with this team is we have an identity that makes everybody dangerous. Sometimes it will pay off over a season, over a Playoff series. We're going to get easy buckets, inside buckets like I did last night.