Why is Victor Wembanyama not playing in the California Classic Summer League?

The San Antonio Spurs fans are living are having an exciting summer, as the 2023 NBA DRft No. 1 pick, Victor Wembanyama, is expected to do big things in the franchise.

Before flying to the US to attend the Draft, the French star, considered the greatest NBA prospect since LeBron James, led the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92s to the LNB Pro A Finals. Wembanyama played 34 games, averaging 21.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 32 minutes per game.

Taking into consideration that he’s in good shape, the 19-year-old player is expected to make two appearances at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

“He never stopped playing. He will participate in the summer league. To what degree, we are not exactly sure yet”, Gregg Popovich said after the Draft.

Wembanyama won’t be at the California Classic

However, the Paris native won’t feature in Sacramento, where the Spurs won’t be at the California Classic Summer League.

Spurs assistant coach Matt Nielsen revealed that the reason why Wemby won’t play is that they want him to get some rest after busy weeks.

“He has had a lot going on over the last couple of weeks, finishing his own Finals series in France and everything else after that”, Nielsen said.

“The plan is he won’t come with us to Sacramento, but he’ll be ready to go in Vegas. When we leave to go to Sac, he’ll stay here and get workouts. He’s a fantastic basketball player. He can do a lot of things”, he added.

After his break, the 7-foot-4 center will join the team in Las Vegas, where they will face the Charlotte Hornets on Friday and the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.