"Go Watch Some Tim Duncan": NBA Champion Shares One Piece of Advice For Victor Wembanyama After NBA Finals Loss

It's going to be a long and painful summer for Victor Wembanyama, who felt like he squandered an opportunity to win the NBA Championship. The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games, with the final nail in the coffin coming on Saturday's 94-90 loss. And as Wembanyama prepares to enter a period of self-reflection, a former NBA champion has some advice for him.

The assumption now, knowing the 7-foot-4 star's work ethic, is that he'll work on his game. On that front, Iman Shumpert asked him to go and watch clips of Tim Duncan, a Spurs legend.

Shumpert joined Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontempts, and Tim McMahon for a special post-game episode of the 'Hoop Collective.' In their conversations, the quartet landed on discussing what Wemby needs to do this offseason.

"I know if they haven't already, this is your year with Tim Duncan," Shumpert said. "It's time to sit down with Tim Duncan for the whole summer and understand how to get to something."

Shumpert said that now that Wemby's experienced the playoffs, he understands how chaotic it can get. With that understanding, he'll be able to develop the right mindset of a go-to guy.

"He's gonna have to watch Dirk [Nowitzki], you're gonna have to watch some Kobe [Bryant], go watch some Tim Duncan."

For Wemby, it's sound advice. He doesn't yet have a go-to move he can consistently rely on to score, and Duncan, along with the other two legends Shumpert mentioned, all had one.

Nowitzki had his signature one-legged fadeaway. Bryant possessed an array of moves that made him lethal in the midrange. Duncan was a reliable low-post scorer, but he was best known for his bank shot.

If Wemby can develop even one signature move and make it his own, he'll become an even more reliable offensive threat. His efficiency was a major issue in the Finals this year, largely because he kept forcing three-pointers and shot just 27% from beyond the arc. For someone of his size, the three-point shot is a valuable weapon to have in his arsenal, but it shouldn't be his primary option.

And that's something Duncan can closely help him with, as he knows what it means to win with San Antonio. He won five Championships with the side, winning three Finals MVPs in the process.

Tim Duncan remains closely connected to the Spurs. Although he doesn't hold an official role with the organization, he has attended training sessions over the years and informally assisted with player development.

If he takes Wembanyama under his wing and mentors him, the French star could become even more dangerous in the coming seasons and avoid some of the offensive mistakes that plagued him during this year's playoffs.

Victor Wembanyama and Tim Duncan’s First Playoff Runs Are Similar.... Almost

Wembanyama is the same age Tim Duncan was when he made his first playoff run. Both were 22 years old, but that's not where the similarities end.

In 1999, Duncan faced the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round and the Portland Trail Blazers in the conference Finals. Wemby battled those same franchises, just in a different order. He and the Spurs faced the 7th seed Portland Trail Blazers in the opening round, then the Timberwolves in the next.

Duncan battled a Los Angeles Lakers squad that had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in the conference semis, a team that would become the Spurs' rivals over the next decade.

Wemby faced and overcame the OKC Thunder duo of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. A squad that many believe will be the Spurs' in-conference rivals for the years to come.

Then, in the Finals, they both faced the New York Knicks, but alas, this is where the only difference sets in.

While Duncan was already a star, he was surrounded by a capable veteran supporting cast, including David Robinson and Avery Johnson. Their Finals series also lasted five games, but it was the Spurs were the ones who came out on top, winning 4-1.

Wemby, meanwhile, is part of an extremely young core that includes talents such as Stephon Castle (21) and Dylan Harper (20). While the team does have veterans on the roster, they were largely non-factors in this Finals series. The Spurs ultimately paid for their inexperience and lack of depth, falling 4-1.

The hope for the Spurs organization and its fans now is that Wemby's career follows a path similar to Duncan's, particularly in terms of longevity and championship success.