Victor Wembanyama Reveals What Gregg Popovich Told Him After Game 1 Loss

The San Antonio Spurs dropped Game 1 of the NBA Finals on their home floor Wednesday night, falling 105-95 to the New York Knicks after a second-half rally led by Jalen Brunson.

Brunson finished with a game-high 30 points on 31 shot attempts in a game that lacked offensive efficiency on both sides. Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama recorded 26 points and 12 rebounds, but shot just 6-for-21 from the field and committed six turnovers.

Despite the loss, Wembanyama acknowledged his struggles and made it clear he isn’t concerned about San Antonio’s championship hopes.

“It’s almost not like I have anything to figure out. It’s almost like I have to play normal, not even good,” Wembanyama said postgame. “When we play bad, when I play bad, is when we shoot ourselves in the foot. This is why I’m not worried.”

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Here’s an edited version with improved grammar, flow, and readability.

Wembanyama spoke to the media again on Thursday and was asked whether he had received any advice or feedback from legendary Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who has been in attendance throughout the NBA Finals.

While Popovich has not spoken directly with Wembanyama since Game 1, the star center revealed that he did receive a text message from the Hall of Fame coach, which he summarized for reporters.

"In the big lines, it was that I've been bad and that I'm better than this," Wembanyama revealed.

In virtually every game in which Wembanyama struggled by his lofty standards, he has responded with a dominant performance the next time out - something that happened several times during the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Because of that, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Wembanyama come out with a strong performance in Friday night’s Game 2, which could prove to be a must-win for the Spurs. If San Antonio falls into a 2-0 series deficit, it will then have to head to New York for Games 3 and 4 next week.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 12:21 PM.