Victor Wembanyama's Summer League stint may be over after just two games, but he's left a lasting impression in more ways than one. After getting off to a rough start in his debut, Wembanyama bounced back with a 27-point, 12-rebound performance before it was decided that he would sit out the remainder of the San Antonio Spurs' Summer League games.
But perhaps what stood out more were Wembanyama's words following his standout game on Monday. During his postgame press conference the No. 1 overall pick was asked about the differences in his time playing basketball in France and the small amount he's played in Summer League.
"The court is more open, it's going fast, but it's less physical," Wembanyama said. "I get fouled a lot, but not as much. Here players are just flying [around], out there it's more on the ground, pushing on the ground, big box outs. Here it's great athletes, the best in the world, way more talent. But I like this better, though."
While his points about the court being more open and the game being faster in the NBA are valid, saying it's less physical while basing it off of two Summer League games against mostly rookies will certainly ruffle some feathers around the league. With the amount of hype and attention that will surround Wembanyama during his rookie season, there will surely be a long list of players looking to give him his "welcome to the NBA" moment, and he just gave everyone bulletin board material by saying they're not as physical as guys he faced in EuroLeague and France.
But while that comment may come back to haunt the French phenom, he's not the first international player to say some things are easier -- or different -- than playing overseas. All-Star guard Luka Doncic said last year that scoring in the NBA is easier than in EuroLeague because of the different rules, specifically because there is no three-second violation rule for standing inside the paint.
Doncic's words caught some attention, but he backed it up by averaging 32.4 points last season for the Dallas Mavericks, and doing so with ease. So perhaps Wembanyama will show that he isn't wrong in thinking that the NBA is less physical, but I'm guessing there's several players waiting to prove him wrong.
