The player I'm going to always remember from this playoff run is Devin Vassell. He showed up for his first playoffs and was vital to everything the Spurs did. His defense was the biggest contribution.
The amount of slander Victor Wembanyama is getting for his first-ever Finals run is crazy. 🤯
For perspective:
🔸 Shaq made his first Finals at 22 and got swept 4-0
🔸 LeBron made his first Finals at 23 and got swept 4-0
🔸 Jordan didn’t reach the Finals until age 27
🔸 Jokic didn’t reach the Finals until age 27
🔸 Curry didn’t reach the Finals until age 26
At just 22 years old, this dude already broke records and carried his team to the biggest stage in basketball.
Love this from Tim Duncan
There is no substitute to actually getting out there and doing it
You need “Game experience” and you need “situational experience”
This is why players play early and play through mistakes thrive
(Via @coachcascio 🎥)
Devin Vassell's message to the Spurs fans:
"Thank you guys so much for supporting us, especially my journey being here 6 years. From where we started, from the 20 wins that we were at, to being in the Finals.
They've been loyal and I just wanna say thank you to them. Because without them and the noise, and them having our backs, we're not in this situation, we're not in this position. So just thank you to them."
🩶🖤
#GoSpursGo #PorVida
Victor Wembanyama on the last shot:
"Of course I liked the shot, but I feel like in this moment you need to shoot to score. And uh, in moments like this, it's like results matter more than process..
We just need to score, I need to score, that's the whole point."
#GoSpursGo #PorVida
Twice in Game 7, OKC cut the lead to 2 in the 4Q. Crowd got loud.
But Keldon Johnson buried two stone cold 3-PT to keep them at bay...and OKC never took the lead.
Of course it was Keldon. The longest tenured Spur. The Heart & Soul.
He & Devin Vassell were here at ground level:
Wemby spent his summer climbing mountains at 5am in the morning in the middle of China with Monks and people are still thinking that he is gonna get tired in the Finals lol