SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs took a major step forward when the team drafted Victor Wembanyama No. 1 overall in 2023.
And as huge as that was for the future of the franchise, it does not mean the team is resting on its laurels on the back of the 20-year-old basketball phenom.
While in France to take in a game at the EuroCup, owner Peter J. Holt spoke with French outlet L'Equipe about the state of the team.
He explained the aim is for the franchise to take a slow and deliberate approach to bring the Spurs back to the NBA mountaintop and become a "superpower."
"We don't believe there is a deadline for success. Some people try to take shortcuts to the top, to short-circuit the process. It usually backfires," he said. "Having a generational talent like Victor, with other quality players, while having extended Pop (Gregg Popovich) for five years, building on RC (Buford) who has built championship teams, is the right thing to do."
The pieces are in place for the Spurs to become a league powerhouse.
Aside from Wembanyama, the team has a stockpile of draft picks, plenty of salary cap space, and if needed, tradeable contracts to help bring the team out of the rebuild.
Holt continued by stating the team doesn't think about the future of Wembanyama in San Antonio if the losing seasons continue.
He's confident in Wemby's developmental path and sees the team eventually becoming as competitive as it once was.
"At the statistical, collective, and individual level, we are already seeing an evolution, particularly with Victor," he said.
Holt added: "When we look at the whole picture, we know we are on the right track. We'll find the balance between development and results. We don't want a roller coaster between victories and defeats. We want to build a superpower, ultra-competitive that lasts for a long time."
And in case you were wondering which game he was taking in, it was a match featuring some NBA Draft prospects including France's Zaccharie Risacher.
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