San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama is known as "the Alien," a nod to his supernatural size and supernatural basketball skills.
asserted
Wembanyama → know → size
At 7-foot-4, Wembanyama can dunk without jumping, yet he also can freeze defenders with his ballhandling, drain three-pointers, and he is the NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year.
asserted
he → dunk → Year
But as nicknames go, "The Alien," misses the mark like a clunky jump shot, in that Wemby — there's your nickname — is a man making the most of his earthly minutes.
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Wemby → go → minutes
He comes from France, plays pick-up chess in Manhattan parks, and trains at Chinese monasteries.
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He → come → monasteries
With LeBron James turning 42 and Steph Curry now 38, Wemby, age 22, is the new face of the NBA.
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Wemby → turn → NBA
We dropped in on him this preseason and found that while he may be best known for his height and length, it's nothing compared to his depth.
uncertain
it → drop → depth
Basketball has seen tall; basketball has seen talent.
asserted
basketball → see → talent
Basketball has never seen Victor Wembanyama's holy matrimony of size and skill.
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Basketball → see → size
Jon Wertheim: Enchanté…
Victor Wembanyama: Enchanté Monsieur…
And yet his favorite play hinges on his teammates.
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play → hinge → teammates
What part of basketball specifically brings you the greatest joy?
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part → bring → joy
I think alley-oops in particular.
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I → think → oops
I like alley-oops.
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I → like → oops
It's like a telepathy--
Victor Wembanyama: Yeah, exactly--
Then again, here's a player who can eliminate the middleman and alley-oop himself.
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who → eliminate → middleman
So it goes for Wemby.
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it → go → Wemby
Big men aren't supposed to shoot like this, much less dribble like this.
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men → suppose → this
It's devastating offense meets demoralizing defense.
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It → meet → defense
No one's ever played the game like you.
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one → play → you
No one has had your combination of size and skill set.
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one → have → size
So how are you figuring out--
Victor Wembanyama: That's true.
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That → figure → ?
Jon Wertheim: --how to train, how to pace yourself, how to even envision your career when no one's done it before you?
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one → train → you
It's true, it is-- a difficulty, first of all because of the player that I am
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I → is-- → player
And-- I think the key is being comfortable not knowing, being comfortable finding out my own answers.
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key → think → answers
I am comfortable not knowing my answers.
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I → know → answers
I am comfortable walking through the fog.
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I → walk → fog
What's it like when you make it through the fog, when you figure something out?
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you → make → something
There's brief moments where my head peaks through and-- sees the sun.
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head → be → sun
Last year there was this I think the month of February, we didn't lose a s-- single game.
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we → be → game
This is these moments where everything clicks, (SNAPPING), you know.
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you → click → ?
The Spurs kept clicking through the spring, thanks largely to Wembanyama's heroics.
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Spurs → keep → heroics
San Antonio beat the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the Western Conference.
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Antonio → beat → Conference
But then, despite being favored in the Finals, they lost in five games to the New York Knicks.
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they → favor → Knicks
Correct me if I'm wrong, I didn't get the feeling that bothered you.
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that → correct → you
No, it didn't because I'm not paying attention to this-- during the Finals.
asserted
I → do → Finals
I don't think any player on either team really is.
asserted
player → think → team
I wondered if you didn't show, "Hey, this is part of my character too."
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this → wonder → character
But you showed a new side of yourself.
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you → show → yourself
It showed my limits more than anything else.
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It → show → anything
Going out there, you need to play basketball.
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you → go → basketball
You don't need to beat the s**t out of people.
asserted
You → need → people
If you wanna win, at least.
asserted
you → win → ?
…and 83 more, not listed.
The Aporia
