The Spurs teammates are on opposite teams for the Rising Stars Challenge.
NBA All-Star Weekend is here and one of the kickoff events is the annual Rising Stars Challenge. The event features some of the top rookies and second-year players as well as a few G League standouts. It’s been reorganized in recent years to a tournament format with four teams battling for a spot in the championship game. San Antonio Spurs teammates Victor Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan are on opposite teams and won’t get to face each other unless their respective teams reach the Rising Stars final game. Sochan delivered a bit of a warning to Wembanyama should their teams meet, as per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News.
“That would be super cool,” Sochan said. “Maybe I am gonna have to guard him the whole game, just mess around with him. . .deny him because once he gets that ball, he’s scary.”
Victor Wembanyama and Jeremy Sochan are the only two Spurs players in the Rising Stars Challenge. Wembanyama is on Team Pau coached by Pau Gasol and Sochan is on Team Jalen coached by Jalen Rose. Team Pau faces Team Detlef, coached by Detlef Schrempf in the one semifinal game. Team Jalen faces Team Tamika, coached by Tamika Catchings in the other semifinal game.
The Spurs have struggled overall this season despite the addition of Wembanyama. While Wembanyama has pretty much lived up to his hype, the Spurs are at the bottom of the Western Conference standings at 11-44. The Spurs appear headed for their fifth consecutive lottery pick following Devin Vassell, Joshua Primo, Sochan and Wembanyama.
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