The San Antonio Spurs meeting against the Lakers, scheduled for Saturday night, has been postponed due to the fires currently ravaging the Los Angeles region. For five days, Victor Wembanyame and his teammates have been waiting patiently in their hotel, in an extremely special atmosphere.
Victor Wembanyama hasn’t played for five days. An eternity on the scale of the NBA, where players are used to hitting the iron at least three times a week. While San Antonio was initially scheduled to challenge the Lakers on the night of Saturday to Sunday, the meeting against LeBron James’ teammates was ultimately postponed due to the serious fires currently affecting the Los Angeles region.
Episode 215: Is Victor Wembanyama already Top 5 MVP?
“We’re in our hotel room and we can’t go anywhere.”
Result: the Spurs, arrived in California just after their defeat against the Milwaukee Bucks on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, spent the last five days stuck in their hotel. Thursday, at the very beginning of their stay in a City of Angels which took on the appearance of hell, the Texans were even forced to change establishments to escape the flames which are currently ravaging the Californian territory.
“We’re in our hotel room, we can’t go anywhere, we can’t do anything,” explains Devin Vassell, second leading scorer for the Spurs behind Wembanyama, to the San Antonio Express News. “There is nothing open. And what’s more, with everything that’s happening, do we really want to do something? It’s a bit as if Covid had started again,” slips the Texan fullback, who arrived at Spurs in 2020.
Chris Paul’s family evacuated
In recent days, the Spurs have also united around Chris Paul. At the start of the fire, the leader’s wife and two children, who live in Los Angeles, had to be evacuated. “I know there are a few guys who went to his house, who spent time with them,” said Mitch Johnson, San Antonio coach, at a press conference. “We’ve been very clear with everyone that if their families or loved ones and people they know are going through things, that’s a priority over basketball.”
-Return to competition scheduled for the night of Monday to Tuesday
Weaned from competition, the Spurs, still in the race for the playoffs but on a series of three consecutive defeats, had time to work. In addition to two daily training sessions, Wembanyama and his teammates had the right to a long video analysis session on Saturday. “It’s something we haven’t really been able to do because of our busy schedule,” Tre Jones points out in the columns of San Antonio Express News.
“It’s also a good time to rest our bodies,” adds Devin Vassell.
This little forced break should, however, come to an end. As reported by local media, the NBA informed the Spurs and the Lakers that the meeting scheduled for the night of Monday to Tuesday was going to take place. In a very special context. “Playing this match can be a way to try to bring some normality back to some people’s lives,” concludes Tre Jones.
Felix Gabory Journalist RMC Sport
