Spurs' Victor Wembanyama suggests he was disappointed with some NBA players' work ethic

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San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama made his presence felt in his first season in the NBA.

The 7-foot-4 French phenom averaged 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while leading the NBA with a 3.6 blocks per game average. He was named the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year.

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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama handles the ball. (Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images)

As he got set for his second season, Wembanyama told Sports Illustrated in an interview on Tuesday there have been some players who haven’t lived up to what he expected when asked about the surprising parts of his rookie year.

"I think both in a good and bad way it's how truly the best in the game are," he told the outlet. "How in a good way some of them are really impressive and inspiring in the way they approach the game every night. But others that I used to like, and now I'm just like ‘Nah.’ I'm not sure that they deserve you know ... they don't seem like they put as much work as I thought."

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San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is shown against the Heat on Oct. 15, 2024, in Miami. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

He said he hopes to inspire other young players in the league or those who will get into the league, like how Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert inspired him.

San Antonio is hoping Wembanyama and their offseason additions help the team take a big step.

The team drafted Stephon Castle with the No. 4 overall pick and signed Chris Paul.

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is shown against the Heat on Oct. 15, 2024, in Miami. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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San Antonio was 22-60 in the 2023-2024 season.

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