WEBVTT - #thisleague UNCUT: All things Victor Wembanyama with Nicolas Batum 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:04.320 Welcome to this League Uncut in the rule of twenty 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:10.160 four hour NBA news miters. You lo, Chris Haynes. It's time, 0:00:10.760 --> 0:00:18.800 Perk Stein, It's so time. This League Uncut is underway 0:00:19.040 --> 0:00:22.320 and on fire. This should be a good. 0:00:22.200 --> 0:00:28.880 One friends, Thanks for joining us for another edition of 0:00:29.080 --> 0:00:33.600 this League Uncut. Mark Stein here with Chris Haynes. It 0:00:33.760 --> 0:00:35.960 is going to be a good one. A special one 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:40.960 because we have a special guest, the official NBA Draft 0:00:41.040 --> 0:00:45.879 expert of this podcast, because at this point in the 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:50.000 draft process, we're only talking about one guy, and no 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:56.000 one knows Victor wembin Yama better than our guest today, 0:00:56.080 --> 0:00:59.400 Nicola Batoum of the La Clippers, is here to educate 0:00:59.520 --> 0:01:03.480 us on his countrymen and do a little dunking on 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:07.000 Chris Haynes since he told Chris Chris could have been 0:01:07.240 --> 0:01:10.040 the number one draft expert in the media if he 0:01:10.040 --> 0:01:14.119 would have just listened to Monsieur Batoum when he told 0:01:14.200 --> 0:01:17.680 him three four years ago about this kid. Chris did 0:01:17.680 --> 0:01:21.400 not heed the advice, and look what's happened. Now, Look 0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:22.040 what's happening. 0:01:22.360 --> 0:01:24.720 I'm pretty sure I was in good company when we 0:01:24.760 --> 0:01:29.080 heard about Victor three four years ago. I wasn't alone, 0:01:29.520 --> 0:01:32.520 so I don't feel too bad. But definitely Nick Nick 0:01:32.560 --> 0:01:34.959 tried to put me on game years ago. He definitely did. 0:01:35.200 --> 0:01:37.280 How did you know? How did you know instantly that 0:01:37.360 --> 0:01:42.040 this kid was going to captivate us all and get us? 0:01:42.520 --> 0:01:44.760 I mean, there will be fifty eight players instead of 0:01:44.760 --> 0:01:48.880 the usual sixty drafted on June twenty second. But all 0:01:48.920 --> 0:01:52.080 anybody's talking about is the is the French Feenix. 0:01:52.160 --> 0:01:54.600 I mean, he is special. Now. The first time I 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:57.640 saw that kid he was fourteen years old, was in 0:01:57.720 --> 0:02:00.560 twenty eighteen. I heard about him a little bit, but 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:04.560 didn't really know him. And you know, when I got like, 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:07.480 I mean, I like scanning young guys. I used to 0:02:07.480 --> 0:02:10.280 go to different your camp, like watch young guys in 0:02:10.320 --> 0:02:12.400 your play. I like to do that. I mean I 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:16.320 saw presently it's a seventeen and so Yanni's at sixteen seventeen, 0:02:16.919 --> 0:02:19.000 like all those guys, I saw them like at the 0:02:19.120 --> 0:02:21.200 young age before they get drift. I like scanning do 0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:26.240 stuff like this. But when you when I saw him 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:28.800 for the first time, like I never seen like something 0:02:28.840 --> 0:02:31.040 like this before. It was only fourteen years old. There 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:33.920 was like sixteen sixty eleven. I saw told kid at 0:02:33.919 --> 0:02:38.360 that age, but not moving like this, not dribbling like this. 0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:41.560 I was like, maybe it's too early to say something. 0:02:42.560 --> 0:02:44.640 But I start following him, and when he turned like 0:02:44.680 --> 0:02:49.480 fifteen sixteen, I was like, oh God, my biscuit might 0:02:49.520 --> 0:02:53.560 be like different, like literally different to what we've seen before. 0:02:53.720 --> 0:02:55.320 And he is actually. 0:02:57.240 --> 0:03:00.440 Stein next, say the way he described as years ago. 0:03:00.520 --> 0:03:04.799 He was like, Nah, he's the next He's the next 0:03:05.000 --> 0:03:08.000 best thing in the NBA. And I took that as 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:12.600 meaning like he's the next best kid from France. He 0:03:12.720 --> 0:03:16.959 was like, no, I'm talking about the next best kid 0:03:17.000 --> 0:03:18.919 that's going to come to the NBA. He's going to 0:03:19.000 --> 0:03:21.200 be the face of the NBA. Nick when you were 0:03:21.400 --> 0:03:24.520 when you were looking at him, scouting him and seeing 0:03:24.600 --> 0:03:27.679 how he moved. I remember when I started hearing a 0:03:27.720 --> 0:03:31.280 little bit little things about him, like what did you 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:34.440 compare him to? Like what who was somebody? Like if 0:03:34.480 --> 0:03:38.240 you're describing him to people that didn't see him, what 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:40.800 was the best way that you were able to describe 0:03:40.840 --> 0:03:41.320 his game? 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:45.880 I mean, when I when I start describing like what 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:49.720 I've seen, like a couple of years ago, people didn't 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:52.640 believe him as like like the dude okay, the easy 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:56.119 coop person because he's huge. Was Rudy because the tall 0:03:56.240 --> 0:03:58.520 guy from France, so it's easy to compare him from 0:03:58.520 --> 0:04:01.640 friends because he lost playing. He just was named today 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:03.360 Defensive Priiod of the Year and the French Dick too. 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:06.240 He was number one in block and Defensive Period of 0:04:06.280 --> 0:04:08.160 the year as well, so they got MVP too. We 0:04:08.200 --> 0:04:12.120 got everything. But I'm like, okay, the guy. Can you 0:04:12.160 --> 0:04:18.040 imagine Rudy shooting like pausing gis. That's how I described 0:04:18.080 --> 0:04:21.320 him first, Then he had the end those, but now 0:04:21.360 --> 0:04:23.800 he had the end those. Now I was like, okay, 0:04:23.839 --> 0:04:28.719 because can you imagine Rudy as pausingis and shooting size 0:04:28.720 --> 0:04:32.160 and the shooting abilities. It was like running like Yannis. 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:35.239 But now you can't dribble too. At seven four, people 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:37.719 was like yeah, right, yeah, come on, Nico. He's not 0:04:37.800 --> 0:04:41.640 too good about real life. I'm like, you see, I 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:43.839 know it sounds crazy, but it's coming. 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:47.840 You know, you know him, and really over here, none 0:04:47.839 --> 0:04:50.280 of us really do. He's only been in the States. 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:52.960 There were the two games in Vegas. He spent some 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:55.760 time training last summer in Dallas, but he wasn't really 0:04:56.240 --> 0:05:00.159 in public view, So I mean We've just had so 0:05:00.279 --> 0:05:03.720 little access to the person. How do you think he's 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:08.440 handling all of this attention and all of these expectations, 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:13.359 because look, I think it's he is the most anticipated 0:05:13.480 --> 0:05:17.000 draft prospect since Lebron And to me, that's enough, Like 0:05:17.080 --> 0:05:20.880 that's just saying that is crazy. But in the last 0:05:20.960 --> 0:05:25.920 few days, I mean the projections for him have gone 0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:28.880 five steps beyond that. How do you think he's going 0:05:28.960 --> 0:05:29.600 to handle that? 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:32.680 I mean, he is blessed and lucky to have a 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:36.240 great entourage. I mean I've known his family. I know 0:05:36.320 --> 0:05:38.880 his mom father, his brother, and sister have made them 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:43.400 a lot of time. His family is great. No agent, 0:05:43.480 --> 0:05:45.680 we have the same agent, the same representatives. I mean 0:05:45.720 --> 0:05:48.840 there great. I know, Like was walking with him and 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:51.760 the coach, yeah this year. The coach who coached him 0:05:51.760 --> 0:05:54.480 this year was the coach who coached me before I 0:05:54.520 --> 0:05:57.240 got in the NBA. I could program me to being this, 0:05:57.680 --> 0:05:59.280 get me ready to be in the NBA. So I 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:02.320 know what's going through right now, like on daily basis. 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:05.920 But he's a smart kid. I mean that's what I'm shocked. 0:06:05.960 --> 0:06:08.680 Like with him, when I met him, and uh and 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:10.800 me and Tony Parker, we're on the team with Tony 0:06:10.839 --> 0:06:13.640 Parker in France Jodic team and we signed, we played, 0:06:13.640 --> 0:06:17.520 he played for us last year and uh, I mean 0:06:17.560 --> 0:06:20.600 he's been on the pressure, but he knows, I mean, 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:23.360 he knows who he is and what he can becoming, 0:06:23.440 --> 0:06:26.239 what he has to become, I mean at this point 0:06:26.240 --> 0:06:28.600 and what he has to do, Like the pressure doesn't 0:06:28.640 --> 0:06:32.440 be crazy, but he knows exactly what he has to 0:06:32.480 --> 0:06:35.320 do and how he had to do it. And that's 0:06:35.360 --> 0:06:37.120 what I'm all pre impressed about him so far. 0:06:38.360 --> 0:06:41.920 Nick, covering you, especially your time when I covered you 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:45.359 with the Portland troubles, it seemed like it was just 0:06:45.480 --> 0:06:48.800 inevitable at some point you would end up with the 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:52.039 San Antonio Spurs. It just seems like at some point 0:06:52.160 --> 0:06:55.240 you were gonna partner with Tony Parker over there, get 0:06:55.240 --> 0:06:57.880 to play under Pop. And I know at times you 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:01.080 thought you probably thought the same thing. So what what 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:03.360 was your mind? Well, what did you think about when 0:07:04.040 --> 0:07:06.480 san Antonio warned the lottery got the number one pick? 0:07:07.400 --> 0:07:08.640 Now you know where Victor's head. 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.480 I mean, it's like the story. The thing about the 0:07:11.600 --> 0:07:15.640 NBA is about all about the storytelling. It's like when 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:18.720 Dirk was about to retire, of course is going to 0:07:18.800 --> 0:07:22.240 end up in the MAVs. We all know, like the 0:07:22.280 --> 0:07:27.000 best Big York stuff, and like what like man who's 0:07:27.040 --> 0:07:27.600 gonna get him? 0:07:27.680 --> 0:07:28.840 Of course is going to end up with. 0:07:28.800 --> 0:07:32.600 The MAVs and the next twenty years after Dirk no whiskey. 0:07:33.320 --> 0:07:36.280 We all know that. And so when you saw Vic, 0:07:37.200 --> 0:07:40.720 it's like, yeah, it's gonna be Spurs. We all knew 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:44.600 that last year already when you. 0:07:44.680 --> 0:07:47.840 Said, Dick All you said the lottery is fixed, Nick, 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:49.720 is that what you allude to it. 0:07:50.400 --> 0:07:52.640 I'm not saying it's fixed. I'm not saying that. But 0:07:53.480 --> 0:07:57.640 the NBA is so crazy about this storytelling stuff like 0:07:57.760 --> 0:08:01.880 the destiny of everything. I mean, everything is destined by 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:05.240 this league. And he's gonna end up in anyway. So 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:08.320 and that's a perfect land. I mean I knew I 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:11.480 saw like the Rocket, the Houston Rockets stuff like the 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:14.280 reaction when the Rockets went number four. Then some guy 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:18.360 is mad about it, but uh, I mean that's a 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:22.160 perfect spot. I mean Tony left. Tony is the great 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:26.920 greatest French plioval time. He might be, if everything walks 0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:30.760 out with him, be the next best French peroval time. 0:08:31.240 --> 0:08:34.640 So and being walking Tony step after what Tonya has 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:36.800 done for that frenchise. That's a good challenge for him 0:08:36.840 --> 0:08:40.240 because okay, Tony got six all start four rank that 0:08:40.280 --> 0:08:42.760 is Jersey ups there do better than him beat that. 0:08:45.760 --> 0:08:48.440 Do you think French fans because of Tony, because of 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:52.079 Boris d l do you think French basketball fans wanted 0:08:52.160 --> 0:08:54.839 him to end up in San Antonio? Is that I'm 0:08:54.880 --> 0:08:59.240 guessing that's probably a popular landing spot, I think, as 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:01.040 opposed to the Tree or Houston. 0:09:01.240 --> 0:09:03.040 I think so. Yeah. I think I think, like he 0:09:03.720 --> 0:09:06.440 said that last night too, I think France are happy 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:08.120 because he's going to end up there. I think so. 0:09:08.160 --> 0:09:12.960 I mean, because what Tonya has done there. I mean yeah, 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:15.600 I mean I think Puppy is happy. I think the 0:09:15.600 --> 0:09:19.480 French eise is hatpy, but I mean it's a perfect 0:09:19.520 --> 0:09:21.280 landing spot for him. Perfect. 0:09:22.960 --> 0:09:27.760 You mentioned Luca, and you know Luca. Luca was the 0:09:27.760 --> 0:09:32.240 euro League MVP before he came to the NBA, and 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:37.440 there were still skeptics because the EuroLeague it's not on here. 0:09:37.480 --> 0:09:40.480 People don't realize that, yes, that actually is the second 0:09:40.880 --> 0:09:44.400 highest level of basketball in the world. And I think 0:09:44.480 --> 0:09:47.920 teams realize now. We probably should have put more stock 0:09:48.440 --> 0:09:52.240 into what Doncic is doing at Real Madrid as big 0:09:52.280 --> 0:09:54.439 a club as there is outside of it, outside of 0:09:54.480 --> 0:09:57.040 the NBA. The French League is obviously good, but the 0:09:57.080 --> 0:09:59.800 French League is not on that level. Obviously, his team 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:03.520 only is playing domestically this season. He's not playing in 0:10:03.520 --> 0:10:06.080 the EuroLeague. So how big of a jump is he 0:10:06.200 --> 0:10:10.240 facing going from the league he's in right now to 0:10:11.800 --> 0:10:14.240 playing against the LA Clippers on opening night. Let's just 0:10:14.280 --> 0:10:16.080 throw that out there as a maybe. 0:10:15.960 --> 0:10:18.160 That's what that's what I love about this country. Actually, 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:22.640 Victor Prenodic last year he did play, and I don't 0:10:22.679 --> 0:10:25.440 think people know that. I mean they just find out 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:29.720 about him after Vegas, Okay, beat the Jedig team. I 0:10:29.720 --> 0:10:32.000 mean he played great against the Jediic team two times 0:10:32.000 --> 0:10:34.480 in three days. Yes, but the year before he was 0:10:34.520 --> 0:10:37.280 seventeen years old, he didn't dominate the league like Lucas. 0:10:37.400 --> 0:10:40.559 What Luca has done in Jodic is insane. At that age, 0:10:41.120 --> 0:10:43.600 nobody has done that. I prayed Yodic before I got draft, 0:10:44.400 --> 0:10:47.960 getting Narraedy, Marco Berny, like a lot of guys plan Yodick. 0:10:48.400 --> 0:10:52.680 We're no near to be like top twenty players in 0:10:52.760 --> 0:10:54.959 the Jodic. It was Ruca was the MVP and he 0:10:55.040 --> 0:10:58.000 won the damn thing and it was final for MVP. 0:10:58.480 --> 0:11:02.160 It's insane or he's done, but still like he's a god. 0:11:02.280 --> 0:11:06.679 It's about Domino God and Luca was technically his body 0:11:07.600 --> 0:11:11.560 was technically ready to be in the NBA. Viig is 0:11:11.640 --> 0:11:14.800 seventy five. He's still growing. Actually, I think he's still growing. 0:11:14.920 --> 0:11:18.800 I think his body need to ADDPT just because he's 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:23.360 just he just turned nineteen two months ago and I 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:25.559 saw him like last week, was seventeen years old. We're 0:11:25.640 --> 0:11:29.000 playing in new league, facing him like big monster guy. 0:11:29.080 --> 0:11:32.880 I practice first and then in games, and I saw 0:11:32.920 --> 0:11:35.600 some stuff from him at seventeen years old and the 0:11:35.640 --> 0:11:39.360 second best team in the league. I was like, Okay, yes, 0:11:39.880 --> 0:11:41.320 people are going to go hid him in the NBA 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.120 in two years. But he mean he's going to be ready. 0:11:44.840 --> 0:11:47.080 I mean my rookie. I mean, I don't compare myself 0:11:47.120 --> 0:11:50.120 to him. But when I my first training camp, when 0:11:50.160 --> 0:11:52.000 I got there, I was nineteen years old, and you 0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:54.280 see that guy I try to get hitch. I'm like, man, 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:57.480 I've been there two or three years ago already. The 0:11:57.559 --> 0:11:59.880 thing was then tried to body you in practice because 0:11:59.880 --> 0:12:02.839 young I mean in Europe, we've been there two at 0:12:02.880 --> 0:12:05.320 fifteen sixteen years old. So when you came in came 0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:08.720 to the NBA, the yes, I'm stronger than a man. 0:12:09.280 --> 0:12:12.800 We've been through that, so we're not intimidate body. So 0:12:13.240 --> 0:12:15.200 but the thing is the thing with Vic, yes's gonna 0:12:15.240 --> 0:12:19.600 face and bid yr Kish Yannis like Zubash from guys 0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:25.160 like that, like Bam, like big dudes. Yes, it's gonna 0:12:25.200 --> 0:12:28.040 be tough for him to adjust, But tell me one 0:12:28.120 --> 0:12:31.360 nineteen year old kid at seventy five with like we got. 0:12:31.720 --> 0:12:37.120 They all been through that, all of them besides Check, 0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:40.160 but all of them pretty much bent through that. So 0:12:40.200 --> 0:12:43.600 it's gonna have some adjustment physically, that's for sure. But 0:12:43.640 --> 0:12:45.360 when it's gonna be twenty two to twenty three, it 0:12:45.400 --> 0:12:46.080 might be crazy. 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:53.600 Actually, So Nick, when to hear you say that it's 0:12:53.600 --> 0:12:55.000 going to be a little bit of a learning curve, 0:12:55.080 --> 0:12:57.439 Like you said, it's going to have to adjust and adapt. 0:12:57.679 --> 0:13:02.800 But the way everybody is promoting him and comparing him 0:13:02.840 --> 0:13:06.760 to Lebron James, that hype is very it is very similar. 0:13:07.200 --> 0:13:14.719 But Lebron came in day one, and it is there a. 0:13:14.720 --> 0:13:17.960 Concern that because you're saying right now, you still think, 0:13:18.360 --> 0:13:20.439 you know, it's gonna take a while. You saying when 0:13:20.440 --> 0:13:23.120 he gets twenty two to twenty three, is there concern 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:26.040 that with all the hype that he's getting in his 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:31.880 rookie year, he's not really dominating or or showing his 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:35.960 prowess at that stage. Is there any concern that backlash 0:13:36.040 --> 0:13:37.199 will will come after that? 0:13:38.480 --> 0:13:40.240 I mean, I mean if you listen to people like 0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:43.000 they're gonna wait for him to have MB number like 0:13:43.240 --> 0:13:46.920 thirty three and twelve. Yeah, I like the kid, but 0:13:46.920 --> 0:13:49.680 I don't think it's gonna happen. I hope he will. 0:13:50.360 --> 0:13:52.920 I mean, I hope he's gonna I've read that no numbers, 0:13:53.000 --> 0:13:54.800 but I don't think it's gonna happen next year. I 0:13:55.200 --> 0:13:57.280 need the first year. We don't know, but maybe not. 0:13:58.120 --> 0:14:01.640 But uh, like I say, he's seventh big men guy. 0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:08.200 Lebron was ready. Lebron was like six eight, like two 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:13.920 forty fifty some dude like man body ready for the NBA, 0:14:14.080 --> 0:14:17.040 Like the man was ready to go for big guys. 0:14:17.080 --> 0:14:19.600 Has always been different. I think for the big men's 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:23.960 and he's a big guy. But I think when I 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:27.800 heard like that, he's the best prospect ever I don't 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:30.960 reayy like that. I think it's it's like a dream, 0:14:31.240 --> 0:14:34.040 you know what I mean, Like we all think like 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:37.640 to play basketball, we have to be tall. We have 0:14:37.680 --> 0:14:39.920 a tall guy, we play like a small guy. I mean, 0:14:40.240 --> 0:14:43.600 it's just something we've never seen before. So the biggest 0:14:43.640 --> 0:14:48.200 prospect ever maybe, But he's like the fantasy we always 0:14:48.280 --> 0:14:51.400 dreamed of as a basketball player. I think that's what 0:14:51.520 --> 0:14:54.600 it is. It's just the fantasy, the dream guy you 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:58.120 can create a somewhere. Okay, this is it. It's more 0:14:58.200 --> 0:14:58.480 like this. 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:03.040 Yeah, because I haven't seen him play a ton, but 0:15:03.160 --> 0:15:06.600 everyone I talked to who has, they always bring up 0:15:06.640 --> 0:15:10.960 the movement that this guy, nobody his size has ever 0:15:11.120 --> 0:15:14.640 moved like he does. Do you do you agree with that? 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:15.000 Is that? 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:17.280 Is that the accurate scouting report? 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:19.240 Yeah? I agree? I mean you can't see the kid 0:15:19.360 --> 0:15:21.560 like bring the boat up and do spin move like 0:15:21.640 --> 0:15:26.600 full speed, even like a sixties guy can struggle to 0:15:26.640 --> 0:15:31.320 do it. So yeah, I mean he yes, some ability 0:15:31.360 --> 0:15:35.360 is like pretty insane for a basketball player before his size. 0:15:35.400 --> 0:15:36.440 It just amplifies. 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:38.880 So what did what do you do? Nick? 0:15:38.920 --> 0:15:42.920 As far as your role is, you're a mentor of his. 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:46.200 He's somebody who looks up to What do you do 0:15:47.640 --> 0:15:50.800 as a guy who's going to look after this guy, 0:15:50.920 --> 0:15:52.240 just like Tony Parker is going to do? 0:15:52.320 --> 0:15:54.640 What do you do? What's your role in his life 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:55.280 moving forward? 0:15:56.760 --> 0:15:58.400 Every time I got a chance to talk to him 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:02.440 and be around him, I was like, I have nothing 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:05.600 to say to him. Actually I just tried. I don't. 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:08.800 I mean, he got it. You know. That's the crazy 0:16:08.920 --> 0:16:14.400 craziest spout about him, is you got it, bro, You're good. No. 0:16:14.720 --> 0:16:17.720 I'm working out in the same gym in France every 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:21.440 year every summer, and that's the gym where he plays, 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:25.000 like this year and last summer. So I was working 0:16:25.000 --> 0:16:27.120 out before the practice. I got got the gym before 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:29.720 the practice. I used to see him like we're walking in, 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:33.280 you're walking out before the practice, and just by talking 0:16:33.320 --> 0:16:37.120 to him like I'm like, bro, you can go right now. 0:16:37.320 --> 0:16:41.800 He's ready mentally. I mean, he doesn't need advice from us, 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:44.400 like from any of us, maybe like how to adjust 0:16:44.400 --> 0:16:48.360 to the life in the US instill. He just knows 0:16:48.480 --> 0:16:52.080 exactly what to do and how to operate, doesn't He's 0:16:52.080 --> 0:16:55.000 not like overreact to who he is what he can become. 0:16:55.080 --> 0:16:57.040 I don't think he doesn't. He doesn't care about people 0:16:57.040 --> 0:16:58.920 what said, what people say about it. I don't think 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:00.720 he cares about that. The best broke there of all time, 0:17:00.760 --> 0:17:04.639 he doesn't care about that. But he knows, he knows, 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:08.639 he's he's they're waiting for him. He knows that. So 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:11.280 I can't I can't just say to him when I 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:13.960 see him, just yeah, keep walking on your game. I mean, 0:17:14.240 --> 0:17:17.840 you have everything to be amazing, so just keep walking. 0:17:18.359 --> 0:17:20.840 You keep referring to him as Vic obviously, I'm sure 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:23.400 you've caught on. And in the States, we've just invented 0:17:23.440 --> 0:17:28.000 this nickname for him, Wenby, But I'm guessing that nobody 0:17:28.000 --> 0:17:29.120 in France uses that. 0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:32.520 Or I mean, maybe maybe just start doing it that 0:17:32.760 --> 0:17:33.080 you do. 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:38.359 But but for you, I mean among his French peers 0:17:38.359 --> 0:17:40.760 in the NBA, you guys, that's not his nickname for 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:42.320 you guys is It's. 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:44.400 Gonna be a rookie for a year. So it's gonna 0:17:44.440 --> 0:17:49.040 be a rook like everybody's gonna be a rookie. I'm 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:51.200 gonna start with rook and then we see. But I 0:17:51.200 --> 0:17:53.520 don't think when they current Winby, I don't think it's 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:56.639 gonna cura like that. Vic vic Or Victor, but Wenby, 0:17:56.680 --> 0:17:57.199 I don't think so. 0:17:58.520 --> 0:18:01.960 You mentioned you share earlier. You guys shared the same 0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:06.120 agent Boona India. I remember talking with Boone probably about 0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:09.119 three years ago, and he told me he was on 0:18:09.160 --> 0:18:10.160 the verge of retiring. 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:12.560 I don't, I don't. I don't see that. I don't 0:18:12.560 --> 0:18:13.359 see that happened that. 0:18:16.680 --> 0:18:19.520 I told that. I told that to the almost talking 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:23.200 to that, I say that, I'm like this kid, the 0:18:23.359 --> 0:18:25.880 junct was about we talked about retirement. I'm like, yeah, 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:28.360 extended carry. I think pubably be the same. I don't 0:18:28.400 --> 0:18:30.920 know if Funk was on the verge of retire. Good call. 0:18:30.960 --> 0:18:33.080 I'm pretty sure around for a couple of years. 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:38.320 So he's coaching. He's coaching to at least eighty seventy 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:43.560 to do at least eighty. I mean, I absolutely love 0:18:43.600 --> 0:18:47.480 international basketball, and obviously the last couple of major competitions, 0:18:48.359 --> 0:18:52.760 France has emerged as the number one team in Europe, 0:18:52.880 --> 0:18:55.560 the number one threat to the United States. I was 0:18:55.600 --> 0:18:59.840 in China in twenty nineteen when France beat the and 0:18:59.840 --> 0:19:03.840 I States in the quarterfinals, sent the pop coached US 0:19:04.440 --> 0:19:08.400 to a humbling seventh at the World Cup, the lowest 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:14.240 finish in program history with NBA players. Obviously, in the Olympics, 0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:17.440 you guys won the first game, the US rebounds and 0:19:17.480 --> 0:19:22.000 wins the gold medal game. What does Victor web Minyama 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:27.000 do for the French national team and the USA France rivalry. 0:19:27.680 --> 0:19:29.679 I mean he's gonna, I mean, he's gonna had so 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:31.240 much stuff for US. I mean we still have a 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:36.320 good team, but that we need fresh young players. We 0:19:36.400 --> 0:19:39.440 have a good one coming out because you see other 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:41.960 team around, I mean the World Cup for example, in 0:19:42.040 --> 0:19:44.280 the World Cup. At the next Olympics, I think it's 0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:46.199 going to be the two great especially in the Olympics, 0:19:46.200 --> 0:19:48.840 it's gonna be the greatest SIBAS competition of all time. 0:19:49.080 --> 0:19:51.719 If anybody comes, it's going to be insane. I think 0:19:51.760 --> 0:19:53.719 it's going to be insane. But you watch teams like 0:19:54.119 --> 0:19:56.240 Austraia is going to be loaded, Canada is going to 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:58.159 be loaded. The US and gonna be the US anyway, 0:19:58.560 --> 0:20:03.000 Spain is always the no matter what. Serbia man, we 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:06.600 got this kid playing Denvers not bad at all. So 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:09.760 and then all the guys around Grace with Jannis, I 0:20:09.800 --> 0:20:12.040 mean I might be missed some teams, but you know 0:20:12.080 --> 0:20:13.920 what I mean, so when you can have I mean, 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:17.359 we're good. We're good. We've been a tough four pretty 0:20:17.440 --> 0:20:21.040 much every time in every competition. Now we're the only team. 0:20:21.400 --> 0:20:24.200 We got a medal in the last zero Row Basket 0:20:24.480 --> 0:20:26.919 World Cup and Olympics were the only team we've done that, 0:20:27.119 --> 0:20:30.440 so we know we okay, but we still need new 0:20:30.520 --> 0:20:32.840 guys because the other team got better. And when you 0:20:32.840 --> 0:20:35.879 have a guy like this, I mean, I take it. 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:36.480 I'm good with. 0:20:36.440 --> 0:20:38.880 It, and I can't resist ask you because I wrote 0:20:38.920 --> 0:20:41.920 about this in September, because, like I said, I absolutely 0:20:41.960 --> 0:20:47.400 love international hoops, which is still now in the United States. 0:20:48.040 --> 0:20:50.400 Like because of the way you're describing the World Cup, 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:52.600 I'm hoping that this World Cup is one that we 0:20:52.680 --> 0:20:56.200 really get into and pay more attention to it than 0:20:56.960 --> 0:21:00.400 we have in the past as a basketball community. Olympics 0:21:00.400 --> 0:21:03.360 obviously everybody is dialed in for that. But in September 0:21:03.400 --> 0:21:06.159 I wrote a story about how it's France and the 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:12.879 USA fighting to convince Joel Embiid to commit internationally. Because 0:21:13.400 --> 0:21:15.880 Joel Embiid has said he's not going to play for Cameroon, 0:21:15.920 --> 0:21:17.960 where he was born. He's either going to play for 0:21:18.040 --> 0:21:20.960 the French or the United States. During the season. I 0:21:21.040 --> 0:21:23.360 tried to get Joe to talk about it. He said, 0:21:23.359 --> 0:21:25.840 I'm not touching it till after the season. But I mean, 0:21:25.960 --> 0:21:28.560 you guys, you already have Rudy Gobert, you're adding Victor 0:21:28.560 --> 0:21:32.480 Webbin Yama. Don't tell me you guys are also getting. 0:21:32.240 --> 0:21:34.159 Joel embiid Shita. 0:21:35.000 --> 0:21:36.280 What do you think? What do you think? 0:21:37.200 --> 0:21:39.600 I wish? And to be honest, I don't know, but 0:21:39.840 --> 0:21:41.760 I heard the stories. I know like he wasn't a 0:21:41.880 --> 0:21:44.560 verse between us and us. I know that. I don't 0:21:44.600 --> 0:21:46.639 know if you took I mean, if you took a 0:21:46.680 --> 0:21:49.440 decision or no. To be honest, I have no idea. 0:21:49.520 --> 0:21:51.800 I know it just finished the big season, got the MVP, 0:21:52.200 --> 0:21:56.120 got hurt. I didn't get his nie stuff. So but yes, 0:21:56.240 --> 0:21:58.960 if we had a guy like him in our roster, 0:21:59.720 --> 0:22:02.200