It is true that sports have moments of glory due to success and others filled with sadness and unease due to failure. But now, the tears of Frenchman Victor Wembley weren't due to his NBA activity, but rather to the grief over the death of his grandmother before the game they lost to the Knicks. A devastating piece of news for the San Antonio Spurs center, who couldn't avoid defeat in the decisive NBA Cup game against the Knicks, but for the lanky player of the Texas squad, there was another kind of sadness due to the passing of his grandmother, news he learned on the morning of the game. For that reason, the farewell to his opponents on the court had a different meaning, and it was there that he could express, with difficulty, the great loss in his family, which was undoubtedly a blow to the heart of the star of the French national basketball team. Thus, Wembley, as he is affectionately known among his Spurs teammates, could barely sit down in the press room to speak to the media, but the emotions that clouded his judgment were overwhelming. Thoughts about his deceased family member barely allowed him to speak about the game.

“I'm sorry, I lost someone today,” he managed to say in a voice that sounded almost heartbreaking for the 21-year-old Spurs star upon learning the tragic news that arrived from France and that hours later would also wreak havoc on the court as they fell to the Knicks.

The reason for his tears

For Wembanyama, the final against the Knicks wasn't just another game, but an opportunity to continue regaining his rhythm after a long absence due to a calf strain, which allowed him to gradually return to action, as happened against the Oklahoma City Thunder where he appeared on the bench.

The idea against the Knicks was the same, where he contributed 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 25 minutes on the court, even though the pace of his great nights wasn't the same, showing details of inaccuracy in his shooting.

But while his athletic performance sought to improve with a good third quarter in which he scored ten points, the reality was that his spirit was shaken by the devastating news of his grandmother's passing.

For that reason, when explaining the details of the game, Victor Wembanyama had to deal with a lump in his throat due to the emotions that came rushing back from the sadness in his mind and heart, to state that: “I suppose it's the best possible practice for important games, because our focus is already on the playoffs, which is the biggest time of the year. It's good to have had this experience.”