“At my boxing gym, we don’t care how much money you have or who you are, but what we do is try to do your best. “Here we are about learning to suffer. “It will be,” he says. james layer The boxer, who won two super-featherweight world championships 30 years ago, has spent 20 years in his San Antonio gym fighting NBA stars, most notably former Spurs players Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.

and now, Victor Wenbanyama.

Raya, who has fists of steel despite being 57 years old, has no mercy and whitens his abs to deliver the low blow of the “Texas Tornado” as his 1.68 is barely enough to reach Victor. , hit with a bottle.and It’s a great 2.23.

-Buff! It hurts! -, The first draft pick complains even though Layer doesn’t hit very hard.

-come! The former world champion replies that he’s not used to it, but he has to have strong abdominal muscles.

“Go on, go ahead and hit me!” Wenby still replies. “And he kept telling me to keep hitting me…” Reiya recalled to MD with emotion, telling her story about the French player.

in order of greg popovichall of the Spurs’ stars, or their projects, will be definitively baptized as part of the organization this summer, sweating it out in the Frenchman’s mandatory facility, James Reyer’s gym.

Pop himself set an example.

“I’ve worked for the Spurs for 19 years. It’s been a while since we boxed, but Pops used to box and was very good and very strong, so we used to box at his house. Yes. He knows boxing helps basketball and wants players to box for work. spiritual strength Other aspects such as reflections. It’s an honor and a pride for Spurs to come and talk about the training of their star players, and I can’t express it in words,” Reiya explained to MD.

In fact, if there’s anything about Popovich, it’s a tireless boxer who would die on the bench. 75 years In January, he is planning a golden retirement next to Wenby, who he will play tonight. clippers It was his third NBA game after getting his first win against the Rockets on Friday.

“We got a call from Spurs and Victor showed up alone in the gym. He had already shown a strong desire to come and was very happy to come,” emphasizes Raya, who is now the coach. do.

“A lot of athletes have boxing experience. kobe ​​bryant “He was a boxer,” recalls the world champion, who loved to wear the “Black Mamba” gloves, inspired by watching the legendary fighters fight. Manny Pacquiao. However, if Wenbanyama and Reiya evoke anyone because of the similarities in physical standards and positions, as well as the difference in height between teacher and student, it is they. kareem abdul jabbar and Bruce Lee.

Reiya herself posted two images for comparison on her Instagram.Abdul-Jabbar committed to letting go hook Through the Globe, he also developed a deep relationship with Bruce Lee, training with him and working on films for four years from 1967 to 1971. death game (1978).

“Victor is the same as Duncan.”

james layer

James Reyer compared heights because he was completely shocked in more ways than one by what he saw with his own eyes in the ring.

“He had to wear special gloves (because of his big size). He’s very fast at boxing. I tell people, ‘He reminds me of Ginobili,’ and if he doesn’t do well in basketball… If not, I joked that I might try boxing. At 7.5 feet (2.23), it’s hard to get tall. professional boxer, But he improved so quickly and was so good that boxing seemed natural to him. I was surprised, many people try to learn quickly, but they can’t. But he’s one of the guys who can do it,” explains the former American boxer. “Tony Parker was very fast,” said James Reyer, who also spotted Victor’s talent. Tim Duncan Keep your gloves on.

“I have a special love for Victor. He is a phenomenal person and his child 19 years He has a great attitude in everything he does. He is a calm person and willing to learn. He was the same with Tim Duncan, he was good at martial arts, he loved boxing, and he wanted to be perfect at boxing. He is the same with Victor. He said, “Come on, let’s try it. I can do it.” But he learned so quickly that I couldn’t even correct him. He was surprised by that too, unbelievable,” says Reiya.

He was isolated from the world for two months during the summer to strengthen his body for the training season. rookie, After the madness of the draft, he retreated from the spotlight. summer league, Victor has had several benefits and enriching experiences on the court.

“How does what you learn in boxing apply to basketball, two very different sports? Hand coordination, reflexes, strength. core. Core strength and balance are important in basketball. Boxing is a sport that works the arm muscles more than the leg muscles. high physical conditioning. All of that can be transferred to basketball,” Reiya emphasizes.

Abdul Jabbar emphasized this in a conversation one day. ESPN The positive effects boxing had on him in terms of stretching, cardio and toning were also important in extending his career into retirement. 42 years. The center also Muhammad Ali.

“You don’t fight in a basketball game, but you do need mental strength.”

james layer

“I also did sprints with Victor,” points out James Leija, who also emphasizes the influence of boxing on endurance. Put your hands together, Excellent coordination technique. You get tired, they knock you down, they can knock you down four times but you have to get up five times, that’s the attitude you have to have. You can get up eight times, but I get up nine times. You have to keep punching and saying, ‘I’m going to keep going, I’m not going to get tired,’ that’s mental strength,” the two-time world champion said, highlighting the psychological benefits of boxing.

“All martial arts require mental strength and help. You don’t fight in a basketball game, but you need mental strength during the game,” adds James Reyer. The former boxer made it all the way to Wembangyama, but even though he is a complete newcomer, it also posed a challenge for him. 1st place draft To Reiya.

“I had to try to contact him because I couldn’t reach him,” the American, who is up to 55 centimeters shorter than Wenby, admitted with a laugh. “Did he knock me out? “He tried to knock me out a few times, but I got away (laughs). We practiced hard, but we had a good time.” James Reyer said, and he persisted in cleaning house and recruiting Victor into boxing.

“He hits hard and has a strong arm. core strong. I tell him: “Even if you don’t do well at basketball, you could still be a boxer and be the tallest, longest-reaching boxer of all time. And he doesn’t care!” he concluded. . james layer Don’t lose faith.