By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Victor Wembanyama praised his teammates after receiving the Magic Johnson Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference Finals in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google, emphasizing the collective effort that propelled the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals.
After being named MVP, Wemby talked about the decisive victory in Oklahoma City on Saturday, highlighting the resilience and unity of the squad. “I think they are just incredible. Everybody stepped up,” Wemby said. “We know everybody got each other’s back. I love these guys.”
Standing on the court at the Paycom Center, the 22-year-old French center made sure to shift the focus from his individual accolade to the larger collective achievement shared with the organization and its loyal fan base. “This doesn’t mean anything, but the fact that we are a team. We got that together for all of us, and for all the fans right here,” he added.
While the Western Conference championship marks a historic milestone for the franchise, Wembanyama made it clear that the team’s ultimate objective remains unfulfilled as they prepare for a best-of-seven series against the New York Knicks. Setting his sights firmly on the ultimate prize, he issued a focused directive before celebrating directly with the traveling crowd. “We want four more. We are not done,” he mentioned, before passionately launching a chant of ‘Go Spurs Go’ with the fans.
“Having a tangible chance of winning it, realizing your dream, it’s a lifetime chance,” furthered Wembanyama, opening his postgame press conference. “You never know when it’s going to happen again. The day we win it, speaking for myself, it’s going to be an amazing day, a realization of a dream. It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life.”
Game 1 of the NBA Finals follows in Frost Bank Center on Wednesday.
NBA Playoffs 2026
Eastern Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
Detroit Pistons – Orlando Magic 4-3 (101-112, 98-83, 105-113, 88-94, 116-109, 93-79, 116-94)
Cleveland Cavaliers – Toronto Raptors 4-3 (126-113, 115-105, 104-126, 89-93, 125-120, 110-112, 114-102)
New York Knicks – Atlanta Hawks 4-2 (113-102, 106-107, 108-109, 114-98, 126-97, 140-89)
Boston Celtics – Philadelphia 76ers 3-4 (123-91, 97-111, 108-100, 128-96, 97-113, 93-106, 100-109)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
Detroit Pistons – Cleveland Cavaliers 3-4 (111-101, 107-97, 109-116, 103-112, 113-117, 115-94, 94-125)
New York Knicks – Philadelphia 76ers 4-0 (137-98, 108-102, 108-94, 144-114)
Finals (best-of-seven)
New York Knicks – Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 (115-104, 109-93, 121-108, 130-93)
Western Conference
Quarterfinals (best-of-seven)
Oklahoma City Thunder – Phoenix Suns 4-0 (119-84, 120-107, 121-109, 131-122)
Los Angeles Lakers – Houston Rockets 4-2 (107-98, 101-94, 112-108, 96-115, 93-99, 98-78)
Denver Nuggets – Minnesota Timberwolves 2-4 (126-115, 114-119, 96-113, 96-112, 125-113, 98-110)
San Antonio Spurs – Portland Trail Blazers 4-1 (111-98, 103-106, 120-108, 114-93, 114-95)
Semifinals (best-of-seven)
Oklahoma City Thunder – Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 (108-90, 125-107, 131-108, 115-110)
San Antonio Spurs – Minnesota Timberwolves 4-2 (102-104, 133-95, 115-108, 109-114, 126-97, 139-109)
Finals (best-of-seven)
Oklahoma City Thunder – San Antonio Spurs 3-4 (115-122, 122-113, 123-108, 82-103, 127-114, 91-118, 103-111)
NBA Finals 2026 (best-of-seven)
San Antonio Spurs – New York Knicks
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