Aside from leading the Spurs to a 115-111 Game 3 victory against the Knicks Monday night, Victor Wembanyama has been spending his days in the Big Apple wisely — namely, by unwinding and finding artistic clarity at one of Manhattan’s most exclusive parks.
Here’s how Wemby has been unwinding his mind during his off time in New York City.
According to a clip filmed Sunday and re-posted by multiple social media outlets, the Spurs’ center spent some time sketching a statue of legendary 19th-century Shakespearean actor, Edwin Booth, while sitting beside his sister at Gramercy Park.
The task of drawing from life, which inherently requires intentional observation and movement, may have helped him center his energy before diving into Monday night’s game. In a post-game interview after Friday night’s home-turf matchup, Wemby said he said he was “still very blurry” after a narrow 105-104 loss.
“That’s the whole problem,” he added. “I need to have more poise, more control over the game.”
The Spurs’ star player clearly executed on those directives Monday night, helping build an early lead and finishing with 32 points, multiple rebounds, blocks and assists in what was arguably his most dominant performance of the series.
When asked about what changed with “late game execution” between Game 2 and Game 3, Wemby kept his answer short.
“Less mistakes, more control,” he said. “It’s the little things. We were more serious. Less mistakes. Less turnovers… Defense fuels offense, and vice versa.”
When asked about his drawing, Wemby confirmed he spent part of his Sunday sketching at Gramercy Park.
“I drew the statue of that park. I don’t know the name of the park,” he said. When a reporter asked if his drawing was any good, he replied through a smile.
“Not bad,” he said. “Pretty good.”