It all started with a simple tweet published Friday evening, after the Spurs' victory in Brooklyn. More than four months after his last interaction on X/Twitter, to campaign for a return of Guerschon Yabusele to the United States in the wake of the Olympic Games, Victor Wembanyama asked his community where “the best places to play chess in New York” were.
The next morning, after receiving hundreds of responses, the Frenchman met his subscribers near the famous Washington Square Park. Despite the rain and the New York cold, dozens of people arrived shortly before 10 a.m. and “Wemby” faced some of them for about an hour.
A nice publicity stunt from Victor Wembanyama who continues to skilfully maintain his popularity across the Atlantic. A great fan of chess, he of course did not fail to thank the courageous people who came to meet him in New York, in addition to campaigning for the launch of a… chess tournament reserved for NBA players, the funds from which were raised would go to the winner's charity.
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“Where does my love of chess come from? I don't really know, I started playing when I was about seven.” explained “Wemby”, who detailed a few months ago that the failures “made the brain work. You have to adapt your strategy, think about several different actions and plan two or three steps in advance. »
In New York, he lost to two pro players but won against his brother, “and that’s worth a thousand victories” he joked. At the end of his large game of open-air chess, “Wemby” then flew with the Spurs to Minneapolis, since the Texan franchise will challenge Rudy Gobert's Timberwolves there this Sunday evening.
| Victor Wembanyama | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2023-24 | SAN | 71 | 30 | 46.5 | 32.5 | 79.6 | 2.3 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 21.4 |
| 2024-25 | SAN | 26 | 33 | 48.0 | 36.1 | 88.4 | 1.8 | 8.3 | 10.1 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 25.2 |
| Total | 97 | 31 | 46.9 | 33.9 | 81.6 | 2.2 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 3.9 | 2.1 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 22.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
