In just his second season, Victor Wembanyama has emerged as a superstar-level player. As he continues his rapid rise, the dominant big man opened up on one area of the NBA game he's still adjusting to.
When players climb the ranks in the league, one thing that is commonly brought up is getting "star treatment" from the officials. Wembanyama fits the bill from a talent perspective but is still in the process of earning his cache with referees.
Wembanyama's frustrations with the refs were on full display on Wednesday following a chippy matchup with the LA Clippers. A scuffle nearly broke out between the two teams after the Spurs big man took a hard foul from Ivica Zubac.
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In the postgame press conference, Wembanyama shared his thoughts about his standing with game officials. He feels he doesn't get a fair whistle and has to adapt to the "politics" of speaking with referees.
"It feels unfair sometimes," Wembanyama said. "But of course, we talk about it with the staff and there is some stuff I have to do to help myself. Talking to the refs, of course, explaining myself. But for me, it doesn't feel like it's something I should influence. I'm a basketball player, I'm here to play, and yeah, this is why it's frustrating. It's not my job to do politics."
Wembanyama had a solid game, finishing with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks. However, it wasn't enough to secure a win as the Spurs lost 128-116.
Ivica Zubac apologized to Victor Wembanyama after hard foul
Victor Wembanyama was not the only player who talked about the hard foul in Tuesday's matchup as Ivica Zubac also shared his side of the story. He admitted to letting his emotions get the best of him in the moment.
During the postgame presser, the LA Clippers veteran addressed his actions against the Spurs center. He was frustrated with what happened on the other end of the floor and took it out on his opponent. Zubac added that he apologized to Wembanyama.
"I thought I got fouled (on the previous play). I was mad at the refs," Zubac said. "So then I was late (on Harrison Barnes' 3-point shot). I saw it going up. I saw Wemby crashing, so I knew I had to box him out. I bumped him a little harder. I let emotions take over a little bit, but I apologized to him."
Zubac had a strong outing against the Spurs, recording 21 points and 22 rebounds. Over the past two years, Zubac is one of the few players who has had consistent success against Wembanyama, owning a 5-1 record.
Zubac is having a career year for the Clippers, averaging career-highs of 15.1 points and 12.6 rebounds.
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