Wemby Admits to NBA Finals Fatigue, Explains Why 'It's Not Going to Be a Factor' Anymore

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is feeling the stress of playing heavy minutes throughout the postseason, particularly in the NBA Finals, but he isn't worried about that being an issue going forward.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, Wembanyama acknowledged being fatigued in the series against the New York Knicks at times, but said "it's not going to be a factor" anymore because there's more time off between games.

The Spurs were careful in the regular season about how they handled Wembanyama's playing time. His 29.2 minutes per game ranked 106th among all players, tied with Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis.

Wembanyama has exceeded his regular-season average in 16 of 21 playoff games. His playing time has increased significantly since the Western Conference Finals, with an average of 38.6 minutes per game over his last 11 starts.

He has played more than 40 minutes in two of the four Finals games against the Knicks. It's probably not a coincidence he struggled down the stretch in Game 4 when he played 44 minutes with just one day of rest after Game 3.

Spurs-Knicks Highlights

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Wembanyama started Game 4 with 16 points and six rebounds in the first half to help the Spurs open up a 76-49 lead. He scored just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting in the second half as the Knicks stormed back to steal a 107-106 win.

Moving forward, the NBA Finals features two off days between each game. The problem for Wembanyama and the Spurs is they have no margin for error at this point facing a 3-1 series deficit.

Wembanyama's assessment that fatigue won't be a factor going forward could be true, though not for the reason he would prefer.

The Knicks can end the 2025-26 NBA season as soon as Saturday night if they beat the Spurs in Game 5 at Frost Bank Center to capture their first title in 53 years.

If the Spurs can extend the series, Game 6 would be on Tuesday and a potential Game 7 would be played on June 19.