1/12/2024 0 Comments Observer game poster![]() ![]() ![]() Meanwhile, a few feet away in the big gym, fans were seated all the way up to the rafters. Let’s just say there were more than a few empty seats in the gym for that game only the most ardent Cavaliers fans, Nets fans or friends and family of players on those rosters seemed to be there for that one. It would have been the talk of Summer League, under normal circumstances.Īnd in the adjacent court – UNLV has two separate gyms under one roof – Cleveland and Brooklyn were playing simultaneous to Wembanyama’s debut. Everybody celebrated, some because of Smith’s shot, some because the game was over and it was Wemby time. Down by two with 0.6 seconds left, Eason just sort of sidearm-heaved a pass about 40 feet to Smith, who turned and beat the clock with a three-pointer at the buzzer. They combined for a miracle finish to give Houston a 100-99 win over Portland in the game that immediately preceded Spurs-Hornets. Like Jabari Smith Jr and Tari Eason, for example. Jerry West was courtside, as was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who’ll join Wembanyama on stage at NBA Con on Saturday for a conversation between a legend and someone who is expected to become a legend. “I’m glad a lot of people could get to see us play,” Wembanyama said. No 3 draft pick Scoot Henderson played in the previous game for Portland he came out and stood courtside for some of the second half of the Spurs game. Fans in Spurs jerseys – they were obviously new jerseys, since they had Wembanyama’s name on them – started showing up inside the arena two games before the Spurs-Hornets matchup just to make sure they had a good seat. Some tickets went for more than $200 on the resale market that’s pretty much unheard of for Summer League. There were hundreds of phones pointed at the tunnel where he emerged for a six-minute warmup before the game. The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama blocks a shot attempt by the Hornets’ Tre Scott during the fourth quarter of Friday’s game at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. A 30-point game or an 0-for-30 game on Friday night wouldn’t have changed anything. Wembanyama’s body of work in France over the last three years more than proved his enormous potential. … You can see his basketball IQ is elite,” Spurs summer coach Matt Nielsen said.Īgain, none of it mattered much, good or bad. Wembanyama struggled shooting and airballed a pair of three-point tries in the fourth quarter, got moved out of the way on a few rebound opportunities, was sort of dunked on when he was trying to defend a lob to Charlotte’s Kai Jones – Wembanyama couldn’t reach it, and fouled Jones as he threw the ball down – and had tons of moments that he’ll learn from on film. He’s going to have a great career, and just to see him step up to the challenge, I think that shows a lot of heart.” ![]() “Victor is a great guy, great off the court. “He’s a legit 7-6,” Miller said afterward, only slightly exaggerating Wembanyama’s official height of 7 feet, 3½ inches. And his four-point play with 2:50 left put the Spurs up by 14, just about sealing the win. Defended well at times Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, the No 2 pick in the draft, tried a three-pointer from about five or six feet beyond the arc in the first half, and Wembanyama threw his left arm skyward and blocked it with ease. ![]() Passed well he even had a left-handed shovel pass for an assist. Wembanyama did a lot of things well, which can’t be a surprise. “Really special to wear that jersey for a first time. But for the 17,500 people who bought tickets, most of them just to say they saw Wembanyama’s first time sweating in a Spurs game uniform, it was a night to remember.Ī night to remember for the No 1 pick, too. The outcome on Friday night doesn’t matter much and will be forgotten in the next couple days – for the record, the Spurs beat the Charlotte Hornets 76-68. ![]()
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