San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama: 'I'm Here to Make Sacrifices'

"I think pretty quickly I learned to know my teammates and they learned to know me," San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama said. "They know I don't care about [the media attention]. I'm here to make sacrifices for them, and I think they're going to make sacrifices for me..."

If being deemed an alien by the biggest sports brand in the world wasn't enough hype for San Antonio Spurs No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama, he's received it almost everywhere else, too. Because of that, he no longer needs any kind of introduction.

But he made sure his teammates got one anyways.

"I think pretty quickly I learned to know my teammates and they learned to know me," Wembanyama said. "They know I don't care about [the media attention]. I'm here to make sacrifices for them, and I think they're going to make sacrifices for me ... at the end of the day, we're at practice and I'm like, 'What can we do today to make this team better?'"

Since he was first posted on ESPN, Victor Wembanyama's story has focused around which NBA team would benefit from his talent. When the Spurs won the rights to draft him, it turned into whether or not he'd be a bust.

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama / © Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Now, it's turned into just how much he can impact them as a rookie, with some — dare I say irrational? — fans expecting a title or bust. That won't be the story this season, however, and Wembanyama knows that. He plans to be patient, focus on basketball and help the Spurs be better, which for him, started directly after Summer League.

"I got away from pretty much everything for a couple of weeks," Wembanyama explained. "That restored me totally. I often like to think that the best players are the ones who work the hardest, but you also need to know how to rest the hardest."

After resting, Wembanyama hit the ground running in San Antonio.

"I've just been working better than any other moment in my life," Wembanyama said. "Harder, but also smarter. I think this offseason will make a difference. Not just for this upcoming season, but also in the next few years."

Looking at the next few years is forward, yes. But that starts now, and Wembanyama is ready.