OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — When the Western Conference finals started, Victor Wembanyama watched Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hoist a Most Valuable Player trophy that the San Antonio Spurs star desperately wanted.Wembanyama left the series with an MVP trophy of his own — and a whole lot more.The French standout — in just his third season — has led the Spurs to the NBA Finals. The newly crowned Western Conference finals MVP had 22 points in a Game 7 win at Oklahoma City, one that gave San Antonio a chance to play for the NBA title for the first time since 2014. It’ll be San Antonio vs. New York in the NBA Finals, starting Wednesday night.“Winning the Larry O’Brien, it’s a childhood dream,” Wembanyama said, referring to the name of the trophy given to the NBA champions. “And having a real shot at it, having a chance, a tangible chance at winning it and realizing a dream … it’s a lifetime chance. You never know when it’s going to happen again.
“It’s hard to put into words. It’s almost like the meaning of my life now.”He averaged 27.3 points and 10.9 rebounds in the series, scoring at least 20 points in every game. He set the tone with a 41-point effort in a Game 1 win, then did a little of everything — dunks, blocks, playing point guard even — to keep control on the way to the Game 7 win. He was the unanimous pick as series MVP, which should be no surprise. He carried that trophy into the locker room after the game, screaming in joy at supporters and teammates.
