Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA under the tutelage of one of the all-time great coaches, and it was his first gesture that earned the San Antonio Spurs superstar’s trust.
Wembanyama entered the NBA as the next great superstar for the San Antonio Spurs. For a player of his talent and gifts to sit under the learning tree of one of the league’s best coaches was a stroke of luck.
But there were some concerns that a strict general like Gregg Popovich may antagonise Wembanyama too early in his career. But his first gesture towards the French center created a strong bond.
How Gregg Popovich welcomed Victor Wenbanyama to San Antonio Spurs
In a conversation with San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker, Victor Wembanyama reflected on his first meeting with Gregg Popovich.
Popovich invited him and his entire family to dinner a little after Wembanyama arrived in the United States.
But at the dinner, Coach Pop made a brief appearance and then left Wembanyama to spend some time with his family, but not before he paid the entire bill.
“The first time I saw him, it was the night I came here. He told us we’re going to eat together the next day with my whole family.
“So we came to the restaurant, and he said to us: ‘I’m leaving, just enjoy. You didn’t spend time together in a month, eat together, I’m leaving.’
“And when we wanted to pay when we left, he already paid. He didn’t want to take too much space.”
Victor Wembanyama is the last superstar of the Gregg Popovich era
Wembanyama didn’t get to play under Gregg Popovich for very long in his career. He spent his entire rookie year under Pop’s learning tree.
However, when Popovich suffered a serious stroke during the 2024-25 NBA season, assistant coach Mitch Johnson took over as interim head coach.
In the end, Popovich decided to turn his sabbatical into a retirement from coaching, taking a senior executive position within the Spurs organisation.
Even though he didn’t spend a lot of time under his stewardship, Wembanyama will always be remembered as the last great San Antonio Spurs star to play under him.
It started with Tim Duncan, who was then joined by Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard. And Victor Wembanyama is the last Pop Superstar, who will lead the Spurs to a new generation.
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