Victor Wembanyama’s New Look Spurs San Antonio to Victory
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama made a striking entrance with a new bald look, an effort to shake off the blues from two recent losses. Courtesy of teammate Keldon Johnson, Wembanyama’s makeover coincided with a triumphant 119-101 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, where he notched 22 points and seized 10 rebounds.
In a game marked by an early scare, Wembanyama briefly left the court after a knee collision with Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, he returned to balance his head-to-head record against the Bucks’ center after four encounters.
The Spurs had been struggling after a 104-103 defeat to Minnesota, where they squandered a 19-point advantage, followed by a 119-98 loss at Oklahoma City. The change in fortunes was partially credited to Johnson, who encouraged Wembanyama to join him in shaving their heads.
“I have been having this (shaving his head) in the back of my head for a little bit, and the fact that (Keldon) wanted to do it as well, it just convinced me,” Wembanyama revealed. “But I felt like we had to lock in real quick because we had been losing a little bit.”
Johnson’s initiative to shave his head inspired some teammates, though Spurs guard Stephon Castle opted to keep his dreadlock high-top fade intact. “They knew not to ask me,” Castle stated. “I don’t got much for that one. It’s not going to happen.”
Wembanyama, who has a history of embracing unique experiences like training with Shaolin monks and playing chess in New York’s Washington Square Park, decided on a DIY haircut by Johnson the night before the match.
“I mean, what can go wrong if the plan is to cut it all off,” Wembanyama remarked with a laugh. Johnson, cautious due to a previous head injury Wembanyama sustained, took his time, starting with a fade before eventually shaving it completely.
Post-shave, Wembanyama reciprocated the favor with his newfound precision, akin to how he performed during the game. “He did good,” Johnson commented. “He was quick with it. No lie. Vic probably took like three minutes. Boom, boom, boom, knocking down. Boom. I’m like, wow.”
The new hairstyle seemed to bring luck as Wembanyama’s performance helped the Spurs dominate. Despite an early exit due to the knee clash with Antetokounmpo, Wembanyama returned, reassuring fans and teammates. “I did not think it was serious because it was just like a knee to knee,” he explained. “I’ve had this dozens of times, but never against a guy like this. So, that was a lot more than usual, but it’s thankfully a very benign thing.”
He made his presence felt by scoring and defending effectively, thrilling the home crowd at the Frost Bank Center. Wembanyama’s second-quarter performance included a reverse shot and consecutive three-pointers, contributing significantly to the Spurs’ substantial lead.
Although he sat out the fourth quarter, the Spurs secured their win as their lead expanded to 37 points by the end of the third.
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