{"id":578914,"date":"2026-02-03T05:39:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T05:39:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/578914\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T05:39:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T05:39:41","slug":"victor-wembanyama-doesnt-hold-back-on-desmond-bane","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/578914\/","title":{"rendered":"Victor Wembanyama doesn’t hold back on Desmond Bane"},"content":{"rendered":"

Victor Wembanyama<\/a> might as well have been saying it to the rest of the NBA. In this particular moment, the San Antonio Spurs<\/a>‘ generational talent was talking about Desmond Bane<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know they do that because they don’t want to play the game. They don’t want to play a basketball game.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was Wemby’s response to a question about the Orlando Magic<\/a> guard’s physicality in the fourth quarter of a 112-103 Spurs victory<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t think I was frustrated,\u201d the French phenom continued.<\/p>\n

In addition to the defense the Magic’s leading scorer for the night played on Wembanyama in that final period, Bane was hit with a flagrant foul<\/a> for lowering his shoulder into Wemby as the Spurs center was making his way down the court.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur job on offense is to make it a basketball game, so that’s how we’re going to beat them.\u201d the 2023 first overall draft pick said.<\/p>\n

“They do that because they don’t want to play a basketball game.
Our job on offense is to make it a basketball game. That’s how we’re going to beat them\u2026”\u2b07\ufe0f<\/p>\n

-Wemby to @RealTomPetrini<\/a> on Desmond Bane’s physicality in W v Orl. Bane, a flagrant for elbow at Vic late in 3rd#Spurs<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/7Q1lQGXE4f<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Hector Ledesma (@HectorLedesmaTV) February 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

The Spurs leading scorer for the season paced San Antonio with 25 points in their 33rd win of the year.<\/p>\n

Victor Wembanyama says health is fine<\/p>\n

It’s no secret that teams want to get physical with Wemby. To this point, it’s become the consensus on how to best knock him off his game. It’s a reality the 7-foot-5 Spur acknowledges.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not just this game, it’s like this every night.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Phoenix Suns, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and the New Orleans Pelicans, among others, have made it a point to rough up Wembanyama. In bumping him off spots, encroaching on his space and hacking every time he touches the ball, each of those teams has beaten San Antonio at least once this season.<\/p>\n

Such activity doesn’t bode well for a frame that weighs south of 250 pounds at his height. So far this season, Wemby has suffered different injuries coming off a year that ended last February because of blood clots in his right shoulder.<\/p>\n

Prior to the game vs. the Magic, Wembanyama was initially listed as questionable due to left calf soreness. The two-time NBA All-Star selection missed a month from mid November to mid-December with a calf strain. Most recently, he sat out about a week to start the calendar year<\/a> after hyper-extending his left knee.<\/p>\n

When a reporter started with a question about whether one of his injuries might nag him, Wembanyama interrupted by asking, \u201cWhat injury?\u201d<\/p>\n

Told that the question centered on the sore calf, Wemby answered with uncertainty.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t know. I don’t know that it’s related to my injury before. Out of caution, it’s almost like we’re going to consider that it’s related.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Spurs win vs. the Magic<\/a> capped a day the team started in Charlotte, North Carolina, before a detour took them to Atlanta, Georgia<\/a>. They arrived in the Alamo City just hours prior to an 8:00 tip-off Central time.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnowing all the special conditions, it’s been a long-ass day. I mean, we’ve been awake since, like, 6:00-something am Charlotte time. It’s close to midnight now. So yeah, a lot of caution in that report.\u201d<\/p>\n

It’s caution Wembayama’s opponents aren’t prioritizing.<\/p>\n