Spurs news: Why Victor Wembanyama believes playing villain role is a 'great sign of respect'
Spurs news: Why Victor Wembanyama believes playing villain role is a ‘great sign of respect’ appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The San Antonio Spurs enter the 2026-27 season with high expectations after falling just short of an NBA title against the New York Knicks. During the playoff run, Spurs news: Why Victor Wembanyama believesVictor Wembanyama became a sort of villain to opposing fan bases. During the club’s Media Day on Monday, the 22-year-old center revealed why he embraced the role with open arms.
While talking with media members, Wembanyama admitted he feels being deemed a villain is a sign of respect in the NBA. He claimed that the process of eliminating other teams in the postseason is part of the process, and becoming a villain means he’s doing something right in the playoffs.
“I think it’s, I don’t know the word, but it’s like, it feels like going through something of great magnitude. It feels like destiny [for] anybody. We’re fighting for the top spot of the mountain,” Wembanyama said. “We’re gonna have to move people in our way. That’s just the way it is.
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“So, I take [the villain label] as a great sign, a great sign of respect as well,” Wembanyama continued. “I think it’s all, for the majority of it, it’s all fair sport. Fans will love you if you’re on their team, and hate if you’re not. It’s just the way [it is]. People experience their own competitiveness. It’s normal. I don’t have [anything] against it. I don’t feel any sort of way against it.”
Victor Wembanyama spoke on being vilified during his playoff run:
“We’re fighting for the top spot on the mountain. We’re going to have to move people in our way … So I take it as a great sign of respect.” pic.twitter.com/pAhJbvmH1O
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) September 28, 2026
Victor Wembanyama nearly led the Spurs to a championship appearance in just his third year in the league. San Antonio made light work of the opening two rounds of the playoffs, going 8-3 in the first two series against the Portland Trail Blazers (4-1) and Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2). It took the club all seven games to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder, before losing the Finals in five games to the Knicks.
The Spurs will have a shot at redemption in the 2026-27 campaign. Victor Wembanyama enters his fourth year in the league and is expected to take another step in his development after winning the Defensive Player of the Year Award last season. He finished last year averaging 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 3.1 blocks per game with a 51.2% field goal percentage and hitting 34.9% of his three-point attempts.
Related: Spurs’ Stephon Castle throws shade at Knicks’ MSG NBA Finals crowd compared to Thunder
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