""[I was] much more in control of myself," Wembanyama said. "The mind, I'm not worried about [that] because I saw what it's like to be confronted with potentially losing a lot, whether it's your career or your health. So, I'm not taking this for granted anymore. The body? I'm having more fun now that I'm not struggling to move as much. I know I still need to get better, and I'm still going to get better.""
"The blocks, dunks, shots, the refined footwork and post moves -- not to mention the intuition to know how to best deploy them -- belied the fact that Wembanyama hadn't played in an NBA game in 8 months, 11 days prior to the win over the Mavs. Residual rust was nonexistent as Wembanyama ran roughshod in Dallas, becoming the first player since 1977-78 to score 40 points with 15 rebounds and 3 blocks with no turnovers while shooting 70% from the field."
Victor Wembanyama delivered a dominant season opener for the San Antonio Spurs, displaying powerful dunks, refined footwork and improved post moves. He executed a thunderous reverse-windmill dunk and operated with clear mental control after a transformative summer that improved his body and perspective. Wembanyama had not played in an NBA game for 8 months, 11 days but showed no residual rust, finishing with 40 points, 15 rebounds and 3 blocks while shooting 70% and committing zero turnovers. The performance set a franchise season-opener scoring mark and demonstrated both physical recovery and sharper fundamentals.
Read at ESPN.com
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