Victor Wembanyama keeps a secret notebook for wisdom from NBA legends like Kevin Durant and LeBron James
The San Antonio Spurs' centerpiece for the future, the 21-year-old French phenom Victor Wembanyama, has turned heads for how he approaches greatness. What's not often seen is his personal notebook, where he stores advice from
legends. The Spuers superstar recently shared that he is willing to note wisdom from active NBA legends, including Kevin Durant and
.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Victor Wembanyama quietly records advice from NBA greats like LeBron and Kevin Durant in a notebook
During a live taping of The Shop: Uninterrupted at Fanatics Fest in New York, Victor Wembanyama peeled back the curtain on a unique part of his process. 'I have a note on my phone with questions to ask the guys, KD [Kevin Durant], 'Bron [LeBron James],' he shared, sitting alongside LeBron James and NFL icon Tom Brady. 'I had the chance to talk to [Nikola] Jokić for 45 minutes at All-Star [weekend]. And I'm taking notes.' That moment gave fans a glimpse into how seriously the Spurs star studies the game and its greatest minds.
Wembanyama's hunger to learn doesn't end with casual conversation. 'When I'm told something, I don't forget it. It's super precious, for sure,' he added. That philosophy, combined with his freakish 7-foot-3 frame and raw talent, is what makes his ceiling so terrifyingly high.
Before a blood clot in his right shoulder ended his season prematurely, Wembanyama was averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and a league-leading 3.8 blocks per game.
The setback raised concerns, but the support from peers like Durant has been heartfelt. 'I'm glad they caught this early,' Durant said after a Spurs win over his Suns. 'That can affect your overall health… I'm thinking about Vic… he's gonna put his best foot forward every day.
'
That mutual respect isn't one-sided. On Kevin Hart's Cold as Balls podcast, when asked if he's a big Durant fan, Wembanyama didn't hesitate: 'That's right.'
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
He later doubled down in an interview with M6 Info after the Paris Olympics, calling Durant his 'favorite childhood player.' Laughing, he added, 'I made it clear that I wanted to learn from him, perhaps only steal one or two of his secret techniques.'
Also Read:
If trade rumors surrounding Durant pan out, and the Spurs do become a landing spot, the student might soon train daily with the teacher. But regardless of what happens, Wembanyama's notebook will continue to grow, filled with hard-earned wisdom from legends who've already left their mark, and one who's just getting started.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
32 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Referees picked by the NBA for Game 7 are James Capers, Josh Tiven, Sean Wright
OKLAHOMA CITY — James Capers, Josh Tiven and Sean Wright joined a very small club on Sunday. HT Image Capers, Tiven and Wright were announced by the NBA as the officiating crew for Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. It's the first Game 7 of a finals for all three, who are now the 22nd, 23rd and 24th referees in NBA history to land such an assignment. 'Being selected to work the NBA Finals is the top honor as an NBA official," Byron Spruell, the NBA's president of league operations, said earlier this month when the 12-person list of finals referees was revealed. And Game 7, one would think, is the top of the top honors. Scott Foster, a two-time Game 7 finals referee and generally considered one of the best in the game, was not picked for the crew. Had he been, he would have become the seventh referee picked to work at least three Game 7s in the title series. The referees in NBA history who have worked that many are Mendy Rudolph , Earl Strom , Sid Borgia , Dan Crawford , Joe Crawford and Richie Powers . Foster — who is frequently criticized online by fans — was defended by Indiana coach Rick Carlisle after Game 4, notable because it was a game that the Pacers lost. 'As far as officiating, I think it's awful some of the things I've seen about the officiating, and Scott Foster in particular,' Carlisle said before Game 5. 'I've known Scott Foster for 30 years. He is a great official. He has done a great job in these playoffs. We've had him a lot of times. The ridiculous scrutiny that is being thrown out there is terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid.' The NBA had 75 full-time officials this season and 36 of those were selected to work the first round of the playoffs. The officiating roster is further trimmed going into each playoff round, with the league's referee operations management team determining who should advance. Capers is working his 13th finals, Tiven his sixth and Wright is in the finals for only the second time. It's the second game of these finals for all three referees — Capers worked Indiana's win in Game 3, while Wright and Tiven were both on the crew for Oklahoma City's win in Game 4. James Williams, who worked Games 2 and 5 of the series, was picked as the alternate for Game 7. David Guthrie, who officiated Games 1 and 6, was the referee assigned to the replay center in Secaucus, New Jersey, for Game 7. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault addressed officiating — and how he and his team respect referees — from a general perspective Saturday, when asked how his team has avoided being called for very many technical fouls this season. 'The outcome of the game and the context of the game is outside of our control,' Daigneault said. 'In between the lines is inside our control. The referees in that category, too. We can't control how they call the game and what they put a whistle on and what they don't. We can control a lot of other things in the game, and that's what we need to focus on.' NBA: /hub/NBA This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
NYT Connections hints June 22: Puzzle features basketball themes ahead of NBA finals Game 7
The June 22 edition of Connections: Sports Edition surprised players with a set of abbreviated clues. As reported by CNET, puzzle number 272 avoided full words altogether. Instead, it featured a list of letters and numbers referring to something linked to the NBA. The format caught many off guard. It was published just ahead of the Game 7 of the NBA finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. The June 22 Connections: Sports Edition featured a basketball-themed puzzle with abbreviated clues linked to the NBA. The puzzle is part of the sports-specific version of Connections. It became a regular feature on February 9, the day of Super Bowl Sunday, following its official launch. Since then, it has continued to appear on The Athletic app, which is owned by The New York Times. Even though it sits behind a paywall on the app, the puzzle remains freely available online for those who want to try it daily. Also read: Draymond Green makes shocking prediction ahead of OKC vs Pacers NBA Finals Game 7 Hints directed players through basketball terms and groupings The standard four color-coded groups were included: yellow, green, blue, and purple. This structure remains the same in each puzzle. However, this edition focused strictly on basketball. Each group followed a specific theme, and hints were provided to guide players through the process: Yellow group hint: Where you play on the court Green group hint: Look for the score Blue group hint: Statistics Purple group hint: Not full names Those who regularly follow basketball were likely to find these groupings easier. For others, especially casual fans, it required careful thought and prior knowledge of NBA-related terminology. Group answers revealed for June 22 puzzle All 16 clues followed the basketball theme. Each item fell under one of the four groups. The correct breakdown is: Yellow group (positions): C, PF, PG, SF Green group (team codes): IND, LAC, MEM, OKC Blue group (stats): 3P, FG, FT, STL Purple group (player nicknames): CP3, KD, LBJ, SGA Several solvers noted that the format was tougher than usual. Without a solid grasp of basketball, abbreviations such as 'SGA' or '3P' were not easy to place. Still, CNET reported that fans appreciated the clever use of short forms and said it was one of the more challenging puzzles in recent weeks. FAQs What is the theme of today's Connections: Sports Edition? The entire puzzle was basketball-themed, featuring abbreviations tied to NBA terms. Where can you play Connections: Sports Edition? The puzzle is available for free online and also in The Athletic app. What do the colors in the puzzle represent? Each color - yellow, green, blue, purple - indicates a separate group, ranked by difficulty. Are the clues always related to sports? Yes, in this version of the game, all clues follow sports-related themes.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
NBA referee Scott Foster to lead Game 7 between Indiana Pacers and OKC Thunder? Here's what we know
NBA referee Scott Foster is very likely to be assigned to Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, June 22. The NBA doesn't release the names of referees until 9 a.m. ET on the day of the game, but based on how the Finals referee rotation has gone,(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Foster, who is considered one of the league's top officials based on a detailed ratings system that includes team feedback, officiated Game 4 in Indianapolis. Pacers fans weren't happy with how he called that game, which the Thunder won. The NBA doesn't release the names of referees until 9 a.m. ET on the day of the game, but based on how the Finals referee rotation has gone, it makes sense for Foster to get the Game 7 assignment. So far, he's only worked one game in the 2025 Finals and hasn't officiated since Game 4. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle spoke up in support of Foster before Game 5. Also Read: Draymond Green makes shocking prediction ahead of OKC vs Pacers NBA Finals Game 7 'I think it's awful some of the things I've seen about officiating, and Scott Foster in particular,' Carlisle said on Sunday, June 15. 'I've known Scott Foster for 30 years. He is a great official. He has done a great job in these playoffs. We've had him a lot of times. The ridiculous scrutiny that is being thrown out there is terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid.' NBA picked 12 referees to work the series Before the Finals started, the NBA picked 12 referees to work the series, based on how they performed during the earlier playoff rounds. Not every ref is expected to work two games, but if Foster is assigned to Game 7, it won't be a surprise. This is his 18th NBA Finals, and Friday night was his 25th time officiating a Finals game. He also worked Game 7 of the 2010 Finals (Celtics vs. Lakers) and Game 7 of the 2013 Finals (Heat vs. Spurs). Other referees who have worked just one Finals game this year include James Capers, Tyler Ford, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven, and Sean Wright. A Game 7 crew with Foster and a mix of Capers, Tiven, and maybe Williams would make sense. Ford and Taylor both made their Finals debuts earlier this month. In Game 4, the Pacers and Thunder combined for 71 free throws, with the Thunder shooting 38 of them. According to the NBA's Last Two-Minute Report, 17 key plays from that game were reviewed, and all were ruled as either 'correct calls' or 'correct no-calls.' Foster had also officiated one other Pacers playoff game earlier this postseason. Foster a.k.a 'The Extender' Some fans have nicknamed Foster 'The Extender,' suggesting he's made questionable calls in past playoffs that helped push the series to more games. Longtime NBA journalist Tom Haberstroh pointed to a study that found there's 'not much evidence at all' that Foster actually extends the series. The NBA says that playoff refs are picked 'based on their overall performance throughout the first three rounds of the NBA Playoffs 2025. Officials were evaluated by the NBA Referee Operations management team after each round to determine advancement in this year's postseason.' Foster is widely seen as one of the league's top officials. Now in his 30th NBA season, Foster came into this year with 1,675 regular season games and 241 playoff games under his belt. Friday marked his 25th Finals game. This is his 18th time working the Finals. Off the court, Foster is also known for being an avid pickleball player.
