San Antonio Spurs officials reportedly have been advised to never phone rookie big man Victor Wembanyama after 9:30 p.m. because that’s when he reads before bed.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft appears to be extremely focused on his health and sleep schedule during the NBA season.
“So focused is Wembanyama on his health and well-being that Spurs staffers are advised never to phone him at his home after 9:30 p.m., according to Spurs director of basketball communications Jordan Howenstine,” The Athletic’s Mike Monroe wrote.
“‘That’s when he reads for an hour,’ Howenstine explained. ‘Then he goes to sleep.’”
Wembanyama clearly has a routine that he sticks to, and the Spurs have to be excited that their young star is so conscious about his health and body in his first season in the NBA.
San Antonio is hoping that Wembanyama can become the star player that gets the team back into the conversation for an NBA title. The Spurs have struggled to compete for playoff spots since the team traded away Kawhi Leonard.
This season, Wembanyama is averaging 19.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and an NBA-best 3.2 blocks per game. The lanky big man is shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from beyond the arc.
The Spurs have placed the young star on a minutes restriction this season to help him adapt to the grind of an 82-game season. With San Antonio winning just eight of its first 42 games, the team isn’t really focused on a playoff spot this season.
While the minutes restriction hasn’t been something that Wembanyama enjoys, he realizes it is the best thing for his long-term health.
“My hunger is bigger than ever to win and to compete,” Wembanyama said. “I have learned to get over that frustration of the minutes restriction. It is how it is. My body needs to adapt to the load and to this long season. Once it is ready, it is ‘go time.’
“But there is no need to be frustrated. I keep my long-term goals in mind.”
Even though San Antonio is likely to end up back in the lottery this coming offseason barring a historic turnaround, the Spurs clearly have a building block for the future in Wembanyama.
If the team can continue to build out the young talent around him, it could find itself contending in the West sooner rather than later.
The fact that the rookie is so conscious of keeping himself in the best shape possible in his first NBA season is a good sign for things to come in his career.
