Victor Wembanyama is four games away from reaching the NBA mountaintop at just 22 years old, and his "vision" is totally unprecedented.
For the first time since 2014, the San Antonio Spurs are heading to the NBA Finals. After drafting Victor Wembanyama first overall in 2023, it was only a matter of time before the Spurs got back on top, but even the most optimistic fans didn't think it would take only three seasons.
Wemby has overcome blood clots, Gregg Popovich's stroke, and playing with a shallow roster, although the Spurs built around him quickly, getting him positioned to win a ring well before he turns 23 years old.
Wembanyama's mindset has been infectious, especially to the younger players on the roster, and Mitch Johnson credits Wembanyama's "vision" with getting the Spurs back on top of the Western Conference.
How Wembanyama Is Matched By No One
Johnson might be a first-year head coach, but he was a high school standout, played at Stanford, and was on Popovich's staff for six seasons before being promoted to head coach.
Plus, his father spent 12 seasons in the NBA, so Johnson has long been surrounded by top-notch players and minds.
No one comes close to Wembanyama.
"He has such a vision, in my opinion, of who he wants to be as a person and as a player," said the head coach. "And the commitment and investment that he puts into that vision is nothing like I've ever seen before. And I think we've seen a few moments where his emotions, probably, in my opinion again, meet all the things that he's putting into for these achievements and accomplishments and milestones and goals of his."
While Wembanyama did campaign to win MVP and has made it clear that he thinks he is the best defender in the world, team success and winning remain his priorities.
"The day we win it, speaking for myself, it's going to be an amazing day of realization of a dream," Wemby said of the Finals. "It's hard to put into words. It's almost like the meaning of my life."
While Wembanyama is just four games away from winning his first ring, he's aware that he still has a long career ahead of him.
"This is the best basketball on the planet that's being played right now," he said of the Spurs. "I want to do that 15, 20 more times. Let's hope it doesn't become an addiction. Maybe it is already."
