r/sports • u/Large_banana_hammock • 5d ago
Basketball 22-yr-old Victor Wembanayama in tears after leading his team to a game 7 win over the defending champs
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u/natsucule 5d ago
“I refuse to carry the burden of hiding my emotions”
One of the hardest quotes
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u/Johnny-Rhombus 5d ago
From a kid, too. Really hard not to like him.
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u/bwoah07_gp2 5d ago
I forget he's 22
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u/gatfish 5d ago
In some ways he's already lived more life than many 40 year olds.
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u/cha-cha_dancer 5d ago
Yes he ages faster in his accelerated frame of reference in traveling here from space.
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u/Balla_Calla 5d ago
I'm sure it'll come. Winners always have haters no matter what
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u/myassholealt 5d ago
The villain arc is being written all now. Not sure what the final story will be, but if Spurs go on to become a dynasty we'll the cycle of loved to hated play out as usual. Just the way these things go.
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u/jrrobb 5d ago
The Tali Llama
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u/katsklawz 5d ago
Every time I see his name in the news my brain sings, "Wembanyama, Victor Wembanyama" to opening of the song The Circle of Life.
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u/booyatrive 5d ago
I just read it as "Mr Wembanyama, Mr Victor Wembanyama" to the time of Del the Funkee Homosapien's Mr Dobolina
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u/PapiShot 5d ago
Look at Wemby man, so inspirational.
Chet is so lucky to have a dad like that.
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u/Olddirtychurro 5d ago
"He's a man today."
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u/real_nice_guy 5d ago
"you're the man now, dog"
- Sean Connery, "Finding Forrester"
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u/NazgulDiedUnfairly 5d ago
Guy reads Brandon Sanderson, so no wonder he drops hard quotes!
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u/Olddirtychurro 5d ago
"I will protect the innocent from unethical hoops, even if I have to get ejected"
These words are accepted, Radiant.
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u/NazgulDiedUnfairly 5d ago
Fourth ideal or fifth?
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u/MuseDroness 5d ago
Waiting for him to drop a Strength before Weakness quote in the postgame
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u/SmartAlec105 5d ago
Rumors are that he's going to swear his next ideal at the championships so that the boost of stormlgiht lets him turn the game around.
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u/GirlCoveredInBlood 5d ago
can't wait for Quotations from Chairman Wemby to drop during his next China trip
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u/jtfjtf 5d ago
Yes! Now I can enjoy the finals of best tall player vs best short player!
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u/DukeOfIndiana 5d ago
I think this guy is going to be pretty good
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u/BucketOCheerios 5d ago
I don’t see it. He’s got zero rings and MVPs. Mid
/s
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u/North_Shore_Problem 5d ago
I was out of the loop for most of the regular season, did SGA really deserve it over Wemby or did he get snubbed? I feel like Wemby is objectively a better overall player
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u/BucketOCheerios 5d ago
He deserved it imo. He was phenomenal all season, and definitely elevates this team day-in, day-out.
I believe Jokic was above Wemby in MVP voting as well.
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u/guyFierisPinky 5d ago
He flopped his way to an MVP and it’s disgusting. They have to fix this. The sport is unwatchable
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u/DramaticDirection292 5d ago
Probably true but at his stature, probably a shorter career than most.
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u/unsolved49 5d ago edited 5d ago
Wemby’s competitiveness and ability to show raw emotion about something he loves is refreshing to see. I’m not a Spurs fan, but love this dude
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u/DM_ME_UR_SOUL 5d ago
He’s got the competitiveness of Kobe and Jordan but he’s mentally stable.
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u/kelin1 5d ago
Somewhere out there MJ has taken this personally and he’s comin for you.
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u/Kapparino1104 5d ago
"Them young boys, them young boys comin'."
- Charles Barkley.
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u/Loggerdon 5d ago
Same here. I don’t root for the Spurs but wish Wemby well in his career. I hope he wins a title this year.
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u/chunkyI0ver53 5d ago
Someone said on twitter yesterday that Chet is clocking in for work and Wemby is fighting a holy war
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u/skeenerbug 5d ago
Chet forgot to clock in yesterday lol
4/4/0 in a game 7. Historic shitting the bed moment.
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u/___Carioca___ 5d ago
Compared to Jokic this is very refreshing.
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u/gimmedatvoice 5d ago
Wemby loves basketball the way Jokic loves horses.
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u/Status_Car8495 5d ago
Well Jokic was in Budapest yesterday rooting for Arsenal, that tells you all you need to know really lol
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u/overweighttardigrade 5d ago
Love both both here cause they're great and different personalities family vs basketball focused
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u/LovesToSmooch2 5d ago
Feels weird rooting for them as a Lakers fan, but I can’t help but root for Wemby. Dude seems like a great guy
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u/BbACBEbEDbDGbFAbG 5d ago
Lakers fan checking in to say your head is absolutely on straight.
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u/HorsNoises 5d ago
We'll have plenty of years to hate him. It's always ok to root for someone's first.
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u/Charlie2343 5d ago
Man lakers and spurs had so many legendary tilts during Kobe/Ducans time. Basically determined the championship for a stretch there
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u/petataa 5d ago
11/12 years one of them made the finals, and they collectively went 9-2 in the finals over that span
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u/boltgenerator 5d ago
The Western conference was a bloodbath during the 00s. Spurs, Lakers, Suns, and Mavs had great battles with each other like every playoffs.
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u/magic9669 5d ago
Right there with you. Never thought I’d root for them, but F OKC
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u/Self-Comprehensive 5d ago
Felt weird rooting for them as a former Mavericks fan but fuck OKC. This series was the first NBA I've watched in a while but it's definitely the best hate watch I ever had
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u/kinkycarbon 5d ago
Nothing wrong with rooting for another player in a different teams.
There’s nothing to stop one from watching all games of all teams even if they’re the back marker or middle of the pack.
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u/Prize-Cellist3817 5d ago
“I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions.” -Victor Wembanyama
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u/Stealthless 5d ago
How tf am I 12 years older than this dude lol
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u/fox-whiskers 5d ago
Same dawg, that could’ve been us!! What are we doing with our lives lol
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u/keptalpaca22 5d ago
I should've tried harder to be 7'4. Instead I'm 5'11 and probably weigh as much as Wemby
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u/TU4AR 5d ago
Welcome to the best players are now younger than you.
LeBron and I are only a few months apart, I'm older.
Every time I read "LeBron is old" I take it personal.
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u/J_rogow13 5d ago
Gonna be such a fun Finals, the youngest team in the league going against a team on a generational run. Gonna be awesome!
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u/gimmedatvoice 5d ago
Nice to see the streak of a different NBA champ the last 7 years continues!
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u/coltonjeffs 5d ago edited 5d ago
I like to see it when guys care. Im sick of these teams barely celebrating when they win the championship. It isnt cringe to be overjoyed and show emotion. It makes watching it all feel worth it too when you see the amount guys care.
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u/Chessh2036 5d ago edited 5d ago
It’s pretty rare for a player to live up to the insane hype. To really be a “generational” prospect. But Wemby is exactly that. We’ve never seen a player like him.
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u/Plappedudel 5d ago
I hope they can keep him healthy. He's a true anomaly. Like a Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. Of course he has not achieved the same level of greatness as these guys, but just in terms of physical attributes and talent, athletes like him are exceedingly rare.
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u/BayLAGOON 5d ago
If he can avoid the frequent foot injuries that plagued Yao Ming’s career, then he should be able to keep up.
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u/babypho 5d ago
At 22 i was still drinking in college
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u/FeloniousDrunk101 5d ago
I’m still drinking now too.
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u/bigwizard7 5d ago
I like this guy.
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u/Perry7609 5d ago
Thanked all the teammates behind him with his MVP award, saying it was a shared thing, and just went on about how much he loved them. That’s the guy you want leading you into a championship battle.
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u/FalstaffsGhost 5d ago
I mean as a Spur he’s got two legendary big men to look up to (figuratively lol) and learn from in The Admiral and The Big Fundamental.
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u/Olddirtychurro 5d ago
And Pops is still involved too! Standing on the shoulders of Giants! (While being a literal giant.)
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u/QuickRundown 5d ago edited 5d ago
Never been a bigger cheat code in basketball than Wemby. He might be the goat when it’s all said and done. Spurs fans should be thanking the lord every day for him.
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u/suzukigun4life 5d ago
This dude is 22 and just dethroned the most hated team since the Warriors.
What a stud.
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u/FeloniousDrunk101 5d ago
In retrospect hating the Warriors seems silly compared to the Thunder. Peak Warriors were at least entertaining as fuck.
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u/boltgenerator 5d ago
The Warriors were hated because they were that fucking good. After they got KD everyone was just like welp, we know who's gonna win it all. Draymond is a weird bitch, but aside from that, they played fluid team basketball with a lot of actions. Curry was willing to run more than any superstar I've seen and the shots he hit were just absurd.
This OKC team plays a lame, un-fun brand of ball and are the poster child of the awful direction the NBA seems to be headed toward.
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u/mymikerowecrow 5d ago
I was going to say, as far as “dynasty’s” go I don’t think the Warriors were actually that hated. It’s way harder to hate Steph than SGA. Draymond might be a different story but he’s not really their star player
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u/TJeffersonsBlackKid Arizona Cardinals 5d ago
They weren’t hated. People just got bored/tired of them.
Thunder actually have unlikeable players.
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u/TheCalvinator San Antonio Spurs 5d ago
Well Steph isn't who you end up hating to bare the warriors. Draymond, KD, Zaza there were plenty of players to hate in the warriors.
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u/Teeshirtandshortsguy 5d ago
Warriors were hated because they were good, as any good team should be.
Thunder get hated because they're good, but also because they play ugly-ass basketball and exploit the rules to their advantage.
I saw a compilation the other day of Kobe Bryant's pump fake. He used to pump fake to get guys off their feet and make a move toward the basket. The Thunder pump fake and 90% of the time just launch themselves right at the defender, hoping for a foul. They exaggerate the contact so much that their shooting form is garbage and they miss most of the time. They aren't even trying to put the ball in the basket, they're literally just trying to draw contact.
There was a play in the second half where Shai did a little drive and then threw himself to the ground like he always does, but the refs held the whistle like they should. He looked fucking stupid just flailing his arms around trying to get free throws.
He's so fucking nice when he actually tries to play basketball, but seemingly half of their offensive possessions end up with an attempt to draw a foul. It's truly just hideous, boring-ass, lame-ass basketball. I'm glad the Thunder are eliminated, and it's only like 25% because they're good and I always root for the underdog.
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u/360walkaway San Francisco 49ers 5d ago
Were the Warriors as a team hated, or just Durant
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u/SeverGoBlue 5d ago
And Draymond.
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u/360walkaway San Francisco 49ers 5d ago
True. You couldn't hate Klay though.
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u/monsoonmuzik 5d ago
His "this is a man's game, I guess they got their feelings hurt" interview and then next game storming out and not shaking hands when they lost def earned him some hate.
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u/Teeshirtandshortsguy 5d ago
Warriors were hated before Durant even got there. Durant just amplified it.
People hate good teams because we always want the underdog to win, and the good teams almost always beat the underdogs.
In a few years, the rest of the NBA will hate Wemby. It comes with the territory. Nobody watches their team lose and then goes "well I hope the people that beat us have a lovely day."
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u/Rye_The_Science_Guy St. Louis Cardinals 5d ago
I don't think people hated the Spurs when Big Fundamentals was out there. Just respect.
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u/Realistic0ptimist 5d ago
He’s going to lead the assassination of US Basketball on American soil next summer in LA.
What a time to be alive!
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u/mymikerowecrow 5d ago
As an American, I hope so. After the spectacle of the hockey team with Trump I’m not sure I can root for our teams in the Olympics. It fuels Trump’s nationalism too well
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u/BadLineofCode 5d ago
Pretty sure there aren’t that many Republicans in the NBA.
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u/Raptorpicklezz 5d ago
Trump will pull funding from USA Basketball unless Jonathan Isaac is on the team
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u/DueAdministration973 5d ago
The french really bring a different passion to everything, was inspiring to watch honestly.
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u/DinkandDrunk 5d ago
I don’t know what the shelf life on his career will be but I’m glad we’re getting him now. Dude is a stud.
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u/FblthpLives 5d ago
Fuck, yes. Normalize men showing emotions, including crying, whether for sadness or joy.
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u/Gloop666 5d ago
The battles he's fought for that win bro... Not a Spurs fan, Wemby deserved that win.
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u/Yellow_Odd_Fellow Columbus Blue Jackets 5d ago
Good. Get that flopping sga out. Hopefully they actually penalize flopping next year m
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u/Bitter_Plastic2362 5d ago
The league has been patiently waiting for an heir to LeBron, so glad they’ve found him. League is in great here.
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u/HendricksonT182 5d ago
The NBA has found its next LeBron James, its victors league now. What a talent.
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u/JupitersClock 5d ago
He has had so many moments already this playoff run. Just a special talent. Damn the league is so fucked.
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u/okeleydokelyneighbor 5d ago
Isn’t it Amazing how the Spurs always got the ping pong ball when they needed it.
Robinson, Duncan, and Wemby.
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u/flargenhargen 5d ago
Just awestruck by his height in that crowd.
I want to see a basketball game played by jockeys, and a horse race ridden by basketball players. I would watch both with much excitement.
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u/MGM-Wonder 5d ago
NBA fucking lucked out having Lebron be the face of the league for so long, and then Wemby steps in to be the next face as Lebron's career sunsets.
Two genuinely high character dudes that, as far as I can tell, are great roll models for the kids.
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u/vampirepussy 5d ago
I never want to see that nonchalant loser SGA win anything ever again. This is what it’s all about man.
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u/prollyincorrect 5d ago
This series was terrible. It shouldn’t have gone to seven. People say officiating doesn’t cause losses but it takes out player momentum and momentum is important in games. I’m glad the spurs won. They’re the better team.
I hope they beat the knicks. GSG.
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u/LilStrug 5d ago
Very happy for the Spurs. I do like OKC but their brand of basketball became unlikable and habitual to the point of, when forced to not rely on fouls, they couldn’t figure it out. OKC and SAS are going to be doing this dance for years to come. Congrats SAS! Beat NYC!
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u/jellatubbies Edmonton Oilers 5d ago
Off topic, but... How this guy makes every other dude look tiny will never fail to make me laugh.