2023-12-16 08:25:38
That certainly sounds like that, the taste of victory. Winner again in the NBA, against the Los Angeles Lakers last night (129-115) after 18 consecutive defeats, Victor Wembanyama unfolded his 2.22 m, candidly smiled at the crowd while nodding his head, then raised his arms well high. For a bit, it looked like a coronation, but King LeBron James was a few meters away, beaten but still on the throne of best player in the NBA. Victor Wembanyama, for his part, simply relished being back to what he loves most: winning.
“We have to appreciate this moment,” said the French giant after the meeting. It’s been a while! It looked like a playoff game. We all love this feeling, we will work like crazy to relive it. It’s what I’m addicted to, what I love most and what I live for. We’re back now! » We will wait a little before getting excited about the San Antonio Spurs. Once efficient on shots (50% including 42% from 3 points) and ahead of the score throughout the match, the Texan team remains a team in reconstruction. Even if three of the four victories this season surprisingly took place against title favorites, the Suns (2) and the Lakers, San Antonio will undoubtedly experience more defeats than victories until the end of the regular phase.
LeBron obnublished by Wemby
“This success shows our character,” insists Victor Wembanyama. The easiest option would have been to give up, but we never gave up. »And especially not against LeBron James: the two basketball stars looked each other straight in the eye. It was the first time that “King” LeBron and Alien Wemby faced each other and we thought we detected a hint of challenge between them.
According to our information, LeBron James has spent several hours in recent days watching videos of players, NBA stars, telling how special and talented the Frenchman is. Create an enemy to keep the level of motivation very high: the recipe is known but always works. After the match, he dismissed questions about Wemby out of hand: “Nothing has really changed from what I’ve already said about him: he’s a special talent.” When you’ve dominated the American League for two decades, you don’t give up your throne so easily. We can easily imagine that the “hype” and excitement around the French basketball player, the most watched player on social networks this season according to the NBA, annoyed him.
During the match, he never went to the basket in front of Wembanyama. We had to wait until the very end of the first half to see the two physically face to face: LeBron took his time, at the corner of the court, before slamming a three-pointer over the Frenchman. “I knew he was capable of blocking, so I was careful to lift the ball,” he briefly explained after the match. On several other occasions, he approached the basket but chose the pass option rather than attempting a dunk which seemed to flow naturally, but where he would have risked being countered by the giant of 2, 22m. James thus transformed himself into the perfect facilitator (23 points, 14 assists) for a high-class performance.
Victor Wembanyama was not much more talkative. Asked about his one-night opponent, he first tried to kick in: “I didn’t really pay attention to him, I just tried to win.” Relaunched, he went no further: “What impresses me most about LeBron? Certainly the way he understands the game,” he succinctly resolved to respond. We will have to wait until February 23 and the next opposition between the two teams, in Los Angeles, to see them face each other again.
“We shared a team dinner”
Where will Spurs and Wembanyama be by then? The Frenchman delivered last night a still very complete copy but less spectacular than his previous outings (13 points, 15 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks). He also behaves more and more like a leader. “We shared a team dinner in an Italian restaurant on Thursday evening, which allowed us to strengthen our bonds,” he reveals. This victory was one of those evenings where everyone was connected. » Facing King LeBron James, it was the evening to shine. At the end of the match, with his arms raised and a smile on his face, he left the floor, taking the time to sign the jersey of a very young fan, before greeting his mother and rushing into the hallway. cloakrooms. Happy to be back in his world: that of victory and its incomparable taste.
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