Wemby already 'comfortable' in San Antonio after dinner with Spurs icons

Victor Wembanyama hasn't been with the San Antonio Spurs for long, but he's already feeling at home with the club after a recent dinner with franchise icons Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Manu Ginobili.

"Probably in a couple hours, I learned more about the NBA than my whole life before that," Wembanyama told reporters Saturday during his introductory press conference, according to ESPN's Andrew Lopez. "It's so comforting to see these people who are so important to the city of San Antonio and the franchise are such great people and generous.

"They genuinely wanted to share their experience. I feel like they've already started to take great care of me. It's so important to be in a position where it's so comfortable."

Wembanyama is set to usher in a new era of Spurs basketball. The team has recently fallen on tough times after annually contending for titles under the leadership of Robinson, Duncan, and Ginobili over the previous two decades.

San Antonio has registered four straight losing seasons, including a 22-60 mark in 2022-23. It was the Spurs' worst record since the 1996-97 campaign when they finished second-worst in the West.

Gregg Popovich's squad won the NBA draft lottery that summer and landed Duncan with the No. 1 overall selection. San Antonio subsequently made 22 consecutive playoff appearances - including five championship runs - and the organization is eager to begin a new chapter with Wembanyama.

"I wanted to say to you directly: We're excited to grow with you, support you, challenge you - especially coach (Popovich) - on your journey through life and basketball," said Spurs general manager Brian Wright of the French phenom. "Your talent is obvious. But as we got to know you, the maturity, the approach, the character, it let us know how special of a young man you are."