All eyes were on top Rookie of the Year candidates Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren ahead of Wednesday’s marquee matchup between the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Obviously, these two teams have had much different fates this season, but there’s no denying that this was going to be a mouthwatering matchup between two stars who could very well be the face of the NBA in the not-so-distant future.
The only problem is that Wembanyama isn’t even playing.
San Antonio Spurs News: Gregg Popovich Reveals Victor Wembanyama’s Reaction to Missing Thunder Game
Speaking ahead of tip-off, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich revealed that his prized rookie isn’t pleased with the decision to have him sit out on Wednesday night. San Antonio ruled the 20-year-old out due to an ankle injury, which according to Coach Pop, has been a lingering concern for the team:
“I feel badly because he’s not a happy camper right now with me,” Popovich said. “He wants to be out there, but I’m looking at the long view. We’ve had some trouble with this particular injury during the season. … So I’ve got to think long term like we did with [Tim Duncan] in this sense. Fortunately for me, he’s smart enough to understand that. He doesn’t like it, and that’s where we are.”
"I feel bad because he is not a happy camper right now. He wants to be out there, but I'm looking at the long view."
Coach Pop explains why @wemby isn't playing against the Thunder tonight.#PorVida | @Spurs | @BallySports 📺 pic.twitter.com/a7IeoDWfaO
— Bally Sports San Antonio (@BallySportsSA) April 11, 2024
This is Wembanyama’s innate competitive spirit oozing here. He clearly wanted to go out there and prove a point against Holmgren and the Thunder, which is why he is understandably upset by the team’s decision to have him sit out.
At the end of the day, you have to say that this was the right decision by Popovich, though. The Spurs are playing on the second night of a back-to-back set, and it just doesn’t make sense for them to risk Wembanyama aggravating his ankle issue at this point in the season.
As Coach Pop said, Wemby understands the situation well, and this should have no long-term effect on their fledgling relationship.
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