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Despite 40PT Annihilation, Russell Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard Hail Victor Wembanyama After Spurs vs Clippers: “One of a Kind”

Published 10/30/2023, 2:33 AM EDT

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Victor Wembanyama has a target on his back, and all the NBA stars are coming for him. In his NBA debut, he went against Luka Doncic, led Dallas Mavericks and saw his first loss. If that were a very competitive game till the end, today’s game against the Clippers was a thorough beat-down. Yet, the veterans Kawhi Leonard and Russell are in awe of this 7.4 gentle giant, and have great expectations from him.

Thanks to Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio spurs are once again relevant. Yet, they are a long way from being a contender. And they will suffer their growing pains before they get to the other side.

One of a kind.

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The Clippers annihilated the Spurs 123-83. In this match, 7 players from the Clippers team were in double figures. And Russell Westbrook was close to a double-double with his 19 points, 8 rebounds stat line. In the post match interview, Westbrook tipped his hat to his team for bouncing back after a bitter loss to Utah. He said, “his team set the defensive tone earlier and got stops and made the shots that gave them the win.” And when asked about Wembanyama, he lavished praise on him, and declared that “he has a bright future which will only get better every year“, and called him “one of a kind.”

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Kawhi Leonard also had encouraging words for Victor. Kwahi declared that “Victor is going to be good, it is still early in the season, but once he figures out from where he is going to get his shots, and reading defences, he is going to be good. He has got an aggressive mentality, and he will get better.”

Meanwhile, Wembanyama has taken the defeat in stride. He had 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and one block, and also had 5 turnovers. Despite the loss, his statement to the media was, “It’s not about how bad the struggles are going to be, but how persistent we’re going to be.” This reflects his steely resolve and positivity, which are the signs of a leader in the making.

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The Right Coach

A coach has the power to instill confidence as well as take it away. Russell Westbrook’s current career is a testament to that. Until last season, many in the league believed that Westbrook’s NBA career was all but over after his Laker days. Not only he is still in the league but also thriving with the Clippers. A lot has to do with Ty Lue, who has brought the best out of him.

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Just like Ty Lue, Coach Pop is a wonderful coach. Victor is lucky that he got drafted by the Spurs, and he is developing under Coach Pop’s tutelage. Regardless of wins and losses, Wembanyama is poised for greatness, if he continues to tread with humility and be a student of the game.

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Written by:

Vinod Pillai

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Vinod is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having over six years of experience as a creative writer, he combines his passion for basketball with his love for journalism. Being an ardent fan of the NBA, he has been following & learning from reputed insiders & reporters such as Adrian Wojnarowski, Tim Legler, JJ Redick, Stephen A.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe