{"id":2055905,"date":"2026-07-22T14:03:58","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T11:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2055905"},"modified":"2026-07-22T14:03:58","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T11:03:58","slug":"victor-wembanyama-takes-another-step-toward-being-nbas-center-of-attention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2055905","title":{"rendered":"Victor Wembanyama takes another step toward being NBA\u2019s center of attention"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"Article_ContentContainer__jBNW3 article-content-container bodytext1\">\n<p>Days after agreeing to a monster contract extension, Victor Wembanyama reminisced about the last three years of his NBA career. The highlights. The multiple accolades. The latest postseason push that helped make the extension an easy decision.<\/p>\n<p>His basketball profile continues to grow. On and off the court.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid1\" data-position=\"mid1\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>On July 10, the San Antonio Spurs announced that Wembanyama agreed to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/7411492\/2026\/07\/10\/victor-wembanyama-supermax-extension-spurs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">five-year, $252 million extension<\/a> to remain with the team. The deal begins with the 2027-28 season and starts at 25 percent of the salary cap \u2014 even though Wembanyama was eligible for a supermax deal worth 30 percent of the cap.<\/p>\n<p>In an exclusive with <em>The Athletic<\/em>, Wembanyama offered his thoughts of how his new contract can help the Spurs maintain its championship contention window for years to come. Saving the Spurs approximately $50 million over the life of his extension was about maximizing the opportunity to remain title contenders, as cap savings could allow the team flexibility in trades or to sign players to add to or maintain its depth.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a good team, we had a very good playoff run, and we had a very good regular season. But what\u2019s even better and greater is our potential,\u201d Wembanyama said during an interview for NBA 2K27, as he was announced as one of the cover athletes for the popular video game series. \u201cThe reality of today\u2019s NBA is that often, the potential of teams is not fulfilled because of money. I just want to make sure it\u2019s never our case.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"article-pickem\">\n<p>Wembanyama, a two-time NBA All-Star, was the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year and the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner this past season. The 7-foot-4 do-it-all player averaged career highs of 25 points and 11.5 rebounds and led the league with 3.1 blocks per game in reaching his first NBA Finals. Wembanyama received First-Team All-NBA honors and finished third in NBA MVP voting behind Oklahoma City\u2019s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver\u2019s Nikola Joki\u0107.<\/p>\n<div data-ath-video-stream=\"cGXYxxdLWSMM2Vl\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_Root__QeM_i\">\n<div class=\"VideoHost_VideoWidth__XjNKI VideoHost_Portrait__XBaJC\">\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Root__AGckL\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_Title__npf3B\">Victor Wembanyama&#8217;s top moments of the 2026 postseason<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"VideoTitleFrame_VideoWrapper__Xgp47\">{&#8220;@context&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/schema.org&#8221;,&#8221;@type&#8221;:&#8221;VideoObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/cGXYxxdLWSMM2Vl\/&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/video\/cGXYxxdLWSMM2Vl\/&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;Victor Wembanyama&#8217;s top moments of the 2026 postseason&#8221;,&#8221;uploadDate&#8221;:&#8221;2026-06-18T04:45:42.744Z&#8221;,&#8221;duration&#8221;:&#8221;PT2M16S&#8221;,&#8221;thumbnailUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/cdn-media.theathletic.com\/video-stream\/auto-thumbnail\/cGXYxxdLWSMM2Vl\/3vmpDUSruUo5.0000000.jpg&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/video.nyt.com\/athletic\/streams\/cGXYxxdLWSMM2Vl\/3vmpDUSruUo5\/3vmpDUSruUo5.m3u8&#8243;,&#8221;transcript&#8221;:&#8221;Outstretched arms, no, there goes Wemal. Took it off the glass, put it behind his back, trying to extend a 7-0 run off the basket. Wendy. Kayama&#8217;s also got 13 rebounds. And 4 blocks to go with those 17 points. Oh my goodness. Spiked. Into the 15th row, even his dad says wow, there&#8217;s a certain homage he always pays that matchup on the 1st. Block the other end, Rudy Gobert. There&#8217;s your French connection. Well, who do you think taught him? Rudy taught him that timing exactly. 3 possessions blocked at EJ Hardy as well. It might have, might have hit the hit the board. Mr. Chaos makes it happen. Wambuyama rolls to the 00, OK. In one fell swoop. Spurs got numbers hungry now behind the plate, 5 on 4. Wendy&#8217;s gonna pull a deep 3. 00 my goodness. A logo shot. 28 footer ties it at 108. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the previous youngest. Thunder down 6. Gotta go quick. Williams engulfs the ball. Wambayama, I think he&#8217;s gonna go. I think he&#8217;s gonna go from midcourt. Look at the emotion from Wimby. Unbelievable. This is what you want to see, a young team growing up. And one of the leading rebounders in the playoffs, goes right at Wambaya, blocked by Wimby. Castle picks it up, comes the other way. Wabayama, 3 pointer, got it. Alley oop to Wimbayyama, perfect pass from Castle, and the lead is up to 3. And right now on this, McHale Bridges slips, that puts everyone in a tough spot, and there&#8217;s nothing you can do.&#8221;,&#8221;ineligibleRegion&#8221;:[&#8220;BI&#8221;,&#8221;BY&#8221;,&#8221;CD&#8221;,&#8221;CF&#8221;,&#8221;CU&#8221;,&#8221;IQ&#8221;,&#8221;IR&#8221;,&#8221;KP&#8221;,&#8221;LB&#8221;,&#8221;LY&#8221;,&#8221;ML&#8221;,&#8221;NI&#8221;,&#8221;RU&#8221;,&#8221;SD&#8221;,&#8221;SO&#8221;,&#8221;SS&#8221;,&#8221;SY&#8221;,&#8221;UA&#8221;,&#8221;VE&#8221;,&#8221;YE&#8221;,&#8221;ZW&#8221;],&#8221;publisher&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;NewsMediaOrganization&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/#publisher&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/&#8221;,&#8221;foundingDate&#8221;:&#8221;2016-01-25&#8243;,&#8221;logo&#8221;:{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;ImageObject&#8221;,&#8221;@id&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;url&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;contentUrl&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/theathletic.com\/app\/themes\/athletic\/assets\/img\/the-athletic-wordmark-black.png&#8221;,&#8221;creditText&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic&#8221;,&#8221;height&#8221;:&#8221;60&#8243;,&#8221;width&#8221;:&#8221;435&#8243;},&#8221;publishingPrinciples&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/edit-guidelines\/&#8221;,&#8221;sameAs&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Athletic&#8221;},&#8221;author&#8221;:[{&#8220;@type&#8221;:&#8221;Person&#8221;,&#8221;name&#8221;:&#8221;The Athletic Staff&#8221;}]}<\/p>\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_root__AKv5b\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16;max-height:min(100%)\">\n<div class=\"AspectRatioBox_inner__86C_2\" style=\"aspect-ratio:9 \/ 16\">\n<div class=\"VideoStreamPlayer_GridStack__2H0p2\"><video preload=\"metadata\"><\/video><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While appreciative of how quickly the various accomplishments come, to Wembanyama, they\u2019re actually expected. The 22-year-old has built a stellar basketball resume playing professionally in France, and his game has matured into a level that puts him among the NBA\u2019s elite. He\u2019s built a reputation where he\u2019s admired by many and even became a bit of a villain during the playoffs due to a number of flagrant fouls and an ejection.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid2\" data-position=\"mid2\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Being on the 2K27 cover is considered a \u201cbig milestone\u201d to him, but like the other accolades, it was anticipated.<\/p>\n<div id=\"top-league-content-root\"><\/div>\n<p>    {&#8220;endpoint&#8221;:&#8221;https:\/\/api-prd-nyt.theathletic.com\/graphql&#8221;}<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust like every achievement in my career, I wish it happened sooner,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s all happening very quick, but I am not satisfied and I want it to happen quicker. It\u2019s definitely a big milestone, something good. That\u2019s done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wembanyama forgoing a supermax extension can equate to roughly $10 million from the Spurs\u2019 cap each season if Wembanyama were to be named to an All-NBA team or repeat as Defensive Player of the Year in 2026-27. As the team looks to upgrade players like Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper from their rookie deals in the next couple of years, the cap number will be important. Per <em>The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s John Hollinger, keeping Wembanyama at 25 percent of the max \u201cwould also allow the Spurs to use their nontaxpayer midlevel exception in the 2027 offseason and still remain below the first apron, something that otherwise would have been impossible without trading a rotation piece.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan, Wembanyama is seen \u2014 on the court and in gaming \u2014 as something of a cheat code. He has the shooting and ballhandling abilities of a guard. He\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/shorts\/GevHin6szDs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">blocked 3-point attempts<\/a>. And with every game, his confidence grows.<\/p>\n<p>And the more he does, the more people talk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see it, and I feel it with people around me,\u201d he said. \u201cWhether it\u2019s fans or interactions, even haters, you know it\u2019s everywhere. But mentally, it\u2019s not taking a toll on me, I\u2019m just living my career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI hear it the most with journalists and media. But, yeah, it comes with it. I guess it\u2019s only a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Being on the cover of a premier basketball simulation game, one of the best-selling video games on the market, will bring more attention to Wembanyama from basketball fans, as well as gamers who might not watch the sport closely but are fanatical about gameplay. NBA 2K26 \u2014 which featured Gilgeous-Alexander as a cover athlete \u2014 was the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sportsbusinessjournal.com\/Articles\/2026\/01\/30\/nba-2k26-is-the-bestselling-sports-game-of-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">No. 1 selling sports game last year and No. 2 overall video game<\/a>, so he is aware of the potential ascension as the worlds of basketball and popular culture fuse.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-container\">\n<div class=\"ad-wrapper article-treatment\">\n<div class=\"ad-slug-container\">\n<p class=\"ad-slug\">Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"mid3\" data-position=\"mid3\" class=\"ad place-ad\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Wembanyama joined a list of 2K cover athletes that also includes Michael Jordan, Shaquille O\u2019Neal, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Don\u010di\u0107. He played the game growing up with his brother and uncle in France. He fondly recalls when EuroLeague teams were added to the game for 2K14.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know it means a lot culturally, too,\u201d Wembanyama said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to realize for me that I\u2019m taking more and more space, more real estate in the world of basketball, in what basketball means, in professional basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Days after agreeing to a monster contract extension, Victor Wembanyama reminisced about the last three years of his NBA career. The highlights. The multiple accolades. The latest postseason push that helped make the extension an easy decision. His basketball profile continues to grow. On and off the court. Advertisement On July 10, the San Antonio [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,241],"class_list":["post-2055905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nytimes-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2055905","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2055905"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2055905\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2055905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2055905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2055905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}