Victor Wembanyama's agent met with Rob Pelinka to learn about Kobe
According to an ESPN article, Victor Wembanyama's agent wanted to learn about Kobe Bryant's work ethic and obsession with stratospheric greatness.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may have won his second straight NBA MVP award, but it looks like Victor Wembanyama is genuinely establishing himself as the best basketball player in the world, not just in general but, more importantly, when it matters most. In Game 1 of the Western Conference finals on Monday, he produced 41 points, 24 rebounds and three blocks, and he took over in crunch time of the San Antonio Spurs ' double-overtime win over the Oklahoma City Thunder . The Spurs are now a serious threat not only to reach the NBA Finals but also to win it all, despite how young most of their key players are.
Wembanyama is already displaying not only the heart of a champion but also the dedication and work ethic of one. In a recent ESPN article , Ramona Shelburne detailed his intensive training this past summer at the Shaolin Temple in China, where he ran, hiked, meditated and even dribbled a basketball up a long and dangerous mountain hiking route. If that wasn't enough to reveal how badly he wants to become a legend among legends, his agent, Bouna Ndiaye, reportedly met with Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to discuss and learn about the late great Kobe Bryant's mindset and training regimen.
"Last April, he called Los Angeles Lakers general manager and president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka, who represented Kobe Bryant for much of his career, and scheduled a lunch," Shelburne wrote. "The reason was simple. "'The way they think is different,' Ndiaye told ESPN.
'The way they play, the way they stretch themselves. Just their curiosity. How they study and watch things.