With San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama entering his third year in the NBA, expectations will be sky-high. Wembanyama stoked those expectations during a recent interview in which he also emphatically stated that he wants to be in San Antonio for life, which should be music to the ears of Spurs fans.
Victor Wembanyama isn’t going anywhere, Spurs fans:
“I know that not every player in the NBA has the same ambitions, but it’s obviously my dream to spend my entire career with a single franchise. Here. In San Antonio”.
— Maxime Aubin (@MaximeAubin1) July 14, 2025
The Spurs have a long history of having players play all or most of their careers with the team. Tim Duncan played all 19 seasons of his career with the Spurs, while Tony Parker played 17 of his 18 seasons there.
One team. One dream. One legacy.
Victor Wembanyama is following the path of greatness that was paved in San Antonio long before he ever stepped on NBA hardwood.
In a recent interview with @lequipe, Wemby revealed something that shook the hearts of San Antonio Spurs fans… pic.twitter.com/1NcA4pkFXf
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 16, 2025
Additionally, Manu Ginobili, David Robinson, and George Gervin played 15 seasons, 14 seasons, and 11 seasons, respectively, for the Spurs. If Wembanyama is true to his word, then the Spurs could be set up for success for the next dozen years, assuming health permits.
Victor Wembanyama could be the next Spurs lifer
Young players often make big leaps in their third season. And if Wembanyama does, then he could quickly make a leap into the MVP conversation and propel the Spurs to the playoffs.
Still, it may take time for him to find his groove. He is coming back from a season-ending deep vein thrombosis diagnosis and hasn’t played an actual game in five months. While he is fully recovered now, there is a question about how he will hold up over what will hopefully be a long career.
Players of his height generally don’t have long careers, with only Mark Eaton playing 10 seasons or more while being 7’4 or taller. Despite that, Wembanyama hasn’t had a significant injury in his career, and the DVT will hopefully be a one-off.
The Spurs obviously hope so because they’ve built a fantastic team around him. They have a deep roster that could boast a top-10 defense and an above-average offense to help Wembanyama. His buying into Spurs culture now could go a long way towards them building a sustained contender.
Duncan, having complete faith in the Spurs, allowed them to reinvent their roster three times around him, going from the Twin Towers to the Big 3 to the Kawhi Leonard era. If Wembanyama has the longevity of Duncan, then the Spurs should be able to follow a similar template to guarantee long-term success.
The Spurs have a competitive advantage with Wembanyama
Having a young superstar buy in early to a team’s long-term vision is the ultimate competitive advantage. After all, stars seemingly change teams every few years, with players such as Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler on their fifth teams, with top players becoming more and more like mercenaries or hired guns.
There are a few superstars who are still with their original team: Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. They have each won a championship with their team while transforming the organization in the process.
Wembanyama will hopefully be the next superstar to follow suit and build a sustained contender that can continue to evolve as their best player evolves.
All told, Wembanyama stating that he wants to be a Spur for life should give them a big leg up in terms of building around him long-term. If he is indeed a Spur for life, then San Antonio could build a similar dynasty to the one they built with Duncan.
