Wemby still has "hard feelings" about losing in the NBA Finals, but he's "very hopeful" for the season.

Background: a 4-1 in the Finals and first outing since 2014

In San Antonio on media day this Monday, September 28,[8] Victor Wembanyama 's star player admitted that he still hadn't recovered from the 4-1 series loss to New York Knicks in last season's Finals.[9] The result ended the franchise's first trip to the Finals since[9] and left marks on the roster but did not erase optimism for the next cycle.

Development: shorter interval, training with Olajuwon, Fox and France

Wembanyama arrives at Year 4 after the shortest gap between seasons of his career in 2006.NBA He was the first unanimous winner of the league's Defensive Player of the Year award.[citation needed] To prepare for a season that the team considers to be more difficult than 2016-17, he sought out-of-the-routine stimulation: he trained with Hakeem Olajuwon ,NBA and visited De'Aaron Fox in the Houston area, where several Spurs teammates did home court practice sessions.

Afterwards, the Frenchman received part of the cast in France for training and excursions. He described living together as very touching and emotional. According to Wembanyama, you have to go through the emotions of defeat, some of them alone but doing it with the team is better. He stated that he took a lot of positive points from the summer, especially being together, and called the experience incredible.

Stephon Castle, third year point guard , said that the visit to France mobilized the group. For him, the reunion brought players closer together, and the absence of coaches allowed them to talk about problems and work on the game together.

In August, Wembanyama and Harrison Barnes also trained with a professional rugby team in France.

Update: the speech before the new season

On media day, Wembanyama said that emotional weight evolves over time but there have been difficult nights of sleep and intense emotions. For him the group needs to accept they will feel all this and move on. He stated that the team is in a good moment, very hopeful, very ambitious and ready.

Mitch Johnson, coach coming off the first full season, said it was good to have time to take a deep breath and reflect on everything. Castle stated that what will stay with him most is the closeness of winning the Finals, and that this memory will shape their character for the rest of life.

Barnes pondered that if by chance the team won 60 games this year, no one would congratulate them so much because it would be more expected. For him, the essential thing is focus every day, the standard the roster sets for itself and comparing to that standard. He said the team has post-season experience, which helps know what they will fight against, but it's not enough to carry the momentum from one season to another: you have to go back and start the journey from Day 1.

What it means for the fan

For the San Antonio Spurs fanbase, the new cycle is not just a calendar turn. It starts with the weight of 4-1, Wembanyama's year 4 requirement and an attempt to transform sporting mourning into cohesion. The trainings with Hakeem Olajuwon , sessions in the Houston area, trip to France and work with rugby show a short interval used to adjust body, confidence and group. The current moment is one of acceptance of defeat, emotional reconstruction and renewed ambition for next season.

Measurement reference

Source text: Michael C. Wright, posted on September 28, 2026 at 5:25 pm EST Wright joined ESPN in 2010, previously covered the Bears in ESPN.com and played college football for West Texas A&The Commission has not received any comments from interested parties.

== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man