San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama reflected on his team’s Western Conference Finals qualification during a practice interview on Saturday, May 16, ahead of Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Speaking about the franchise reaching the conference finals in his third season, Wembanyama said, “It’s great. Shows that we already gained a little bit of experience from our short playoff time. I feel like we put ourselves in the best conditions, simple as that.”
The 22-year-old center also pointed to consistency and execution as key reasons behind the Spurs’ playoff success in the 2025-26 campaign.
He described the team’s approach with one word, stating, “Relentlessness, trusting the game plan, and staying strong through their runs.”
Wembanyama expanded on how opponents have attempted to limit his influence in the paint throughout the postseason. He explained how defensive attention has shaped his role within the offense and defense.
“I feel like… We have a lot of confidence in me having this role. I have a lot of confidence in it. And they knew it, and they tried to take me away from being able to center the defense. And that was the hardest part. This is what they do. Their only chance was trying to… The way the team was built, they were trying to take me away from the rim and just grab me. And… That’s why I was talking about relentlessness as well, because there’s no other way to fight that than just fight it with physicality.”
The Spurs have leaned on spacing and pace, with perimeter shooting playing a growing role in their offensive structure, including the impact of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper in recent playoff games.
Wembanyama also addressed the rising influence of teammates, especially in high-pressure moments, noting the importance of shot selection and composure from the backcourt.
“I mean, we already knew, but now it’s even more obvious why they didn’t do that the first five games.”
Looking ahead to the Western Conference Finals matchup against the Thunder, Wembanyama emphasized preparation and recovery over early predictions, keeping focus on routine adjustments.
“Of course we’re confident, but we need to keep the right confidence level. Right now I’m not even thinking about it. I’m just thinking about recovering. I’m thinking about getting this press conference over with. And we’re going to see about it in the next couple of days, but it’s really going to be the same as usual. Prepare, take care of your body, scout, watch the film, practice.”
The Spurs forward also highlighted the growing difficulty of each playoff round and the learning curve the group has faced throughout the postseason.
“Yes, of course they mean something. Now, the nature of the playoffs makes it that we’re going to play against better and better teams. And there was already a leap between the first and second round. And it’s going to be probably an even bigger leap between second and third. But, you know, we got good guidance. We got good coaching staff. The best, actually. So, we can trust them.”
Wembanyama also described how the team recognizes early-game execution as a key indicator of control, particularly when they establish pace and defensive structure.
“It feels like it’s connection between each other in the first minutes of the game. You know, I feel like this team, whatever we’ve hit first and taken an early lead, we’ve beat them. And really, whenever we beat them, it was almost by, like, 30 every time. Yeah. And the way they play also makes it that they get tired because they play so physical, and we try to beat them with pace. So I would say, to answer your question, when we start games a certain way, that’s when we know we’re ready.”
He also praised the performance of a key teammate in the series, highlighting decision-making and control under pressure.
“Oh, yeah. No, I mean, he was amazing. The composure, you know, there was one pass that I haven’t seen again on the film, by the way, but one late pass. Sometimes he does some things. Just amazing. And, yeah, just the composure, you know, to make the late choice and to push the defense into as far as they can go to take care of all our strength. You know, he was great. He shot the ball when he should have shot it and made the shots. And he passed the ball when he should have passed it. That’s pretty high up there.”
As the Spurs prepare for a meeting with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the focus remains on recovery and execution rather than anticipation.
“It’s great. My mind is excited. My body is tired after this game. But, yeah, I said it on the broadcast earlier, like… Just the words conference finals is crazy. It’s like something I heard my whole life, and now being in it is just special. It’s hopefully many more conference finals to come in the next years.”
