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By Matt Audilet
Contributing Sports Writer
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Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals in just his third NBA season, winning unanimous Western Conference Finals MVP honors after a seven-game series victory over the reigning-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
It's fair to say that the 7-foot-4 Frenchman has taken over as the face of the NBA — a fact he himself predicted.
In a meeting with Nike executives before his 2025-26 season, Wembanyama delivered a cold-blooded quote about his NBA future.
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“I’m not gonna give basketball a choice of who the face is going to be," Wembanyama said, according to a person present at the meeting.
This quote surfaced in a piece published by NBA insider Jared Weiss of The Athletic, just hours before Wembanyama takes the court fro Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.
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Wembanyama finished third in MVP voting this past season, trailing only back-to-back reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic. He was awarded Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to win the trophy unanimously.
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Wembanyama finished Game 1 of the NBA Finals with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but struggled with his shooting efficiency. He shot 6/21 from the field and 2/9 from behind the 3-point arc in the 105-95 loss at San Antonio's Frost Bank Center.
Game 2 of the NBA Finals will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday.
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