Blake Wesley on Chris Paul: 'For him to be my teammate is kind of crazy'

Blake Wesley, the San Antonio Spurs’ third-year guard, has seen growth and development over the past few seasons as he has patiently awaited his opportunity. Standing at 6-foot-4, Wesley’s blend of speed, skill, and defensive acumen positions him as a potential breakout player for the Spurs.

Wesley has spent his initial years in the Association alternating between the San Antonio Spurs and their G League affiliate, the Austin Spurs.

In an interview with HoopsHype, on behalf of Herbalife, Wesley opened up about his journey, his excitement about learning from Chris Paul, Spurs being a darkhorse team and more.

How does it feel to give back?

BW: Special. Because once I was their age, I didn’t get to go to a pro camp or have an NBA player at a camp. I just went to the local Boys and Girls Club and had a wonderful basketball camp. So, for them to be able to see me and have me put my name out there is really important to me, especially since I am coming all the way to Minnesota. So yeah, I enjoy myself.

Looking where you've come since your days from South Bend to where you are now in the NBA

BW: It’s crazy. I mean, I come from a little town in South Bend. It’s different, for sure. It’s a small town, and there’s not a lot of exposure up there. But I’m very blessed to be in this opportunity to be in the NBA. As a little South Bend kid growing up, I’m very blessed. I want to thank God every day for putting me in this position. And yeah, I can truly say I’m blessed.

How does it feel to be more comfortable heading into this year compared to your rookie and sophomore years?

BW: For sure. The game is slowing down for me. The older I get, the more reps I get. I played in the G League for a couple of games, 10 games, and then one little spark game that I had with San Antonio. I never looked back. I just kept going and never looked back. Going to the G League, I definitely got better with the new coaching staff and new players. So I really appreciate that. My strength is my speed, getting downhill, finding guys, making open shots, and playing defense. So, I’m just trying to play my role.

How excited are you to play with Chris Paul?

BW: I’m excited, man. He’s a great dude. I just worked out. We just worked out with him not too long ago at Summer League. Yeah. So it’s good. He’s a great dude. He’s talking to me, coaching me, telling me to go handle the ball. So I’m enjoying it so far, and I can’t wait to learn and get the knowledge. Really take what he has. So I’m excited.

Is it surreal to play alongside someone you admired and played within 2K?

BW: Yeah, for sure. I remember him and Blake Griffin from the ‘Lob City’. Chris Paul is one of the people I liked growing up, so for him to be my teammate is kind of crazy. I remember when he and Griffin were going live. I’m excited for this year, looking to go further, get more wins, and just be a winner.

With Victor Wembanyama on the team, do you feel confident about getting perfect lobs to him?

BW: I feel like we are gonna surprise a lot of people. We still have a lot of doubters and sleepers. So we want people to sleep on us because it’s only gonna motivate us, especially me. We just got Victor, Harrison Barnes, and Chris Paul. We added some vets to the team, so we’re looking to be good this year.

How do you think your game has grown going into year three?

BW: Just doing my role, not doing too much, putting the work in so the work will show regardless. So just playing my role, hitting open shots, not trying to do too much. And yeah, just mainly defense. I love playing defense. That’s my number one thing.

Has playing for Coach Pop maybe changed the way you looked at the game?

BW: For sure. He’s always been a defensive coach. I heard that before I got to the league, so my mindset when I first got in there was to play defense, and I was going to get on the floor. That’s what I did when I started playing. Started playing defense and just making the right reads. But my first thing going into this year is playing defense and making winning plays. So that’s the main focus.

Was there a learning curve at all for you when you came into the NBA?

BW: Everybody on the NBA team was at least the main guy on their team in college. So it’s definitely a learning process, definitely a rebuild. As soon as I got in, I got drafted. Then I saw Dejounte Murray get traded. I was like, ‘Oh, I think we’re going back to rebuild.’ I think they’re rebuilding. So it’s fun. It’s fun getting together, getting the guys together, working out, training together so we can build that bond. And then, hopefully, one of these years, we’ll win a championship.

Does seeing players get traded make you anxious about the possibility of you or a teammate being traded unexpectedly?

BW: It’s definitely anxiety. You can be playing good, you can be playing bad, you can be playing mediocre, and you can still get traded. It’s all a business. That’s why I stay ten toes down every day. I work hard and just do the right thing, so I’m ready for it all.

How do you learn how to fit in this melting pot of a team with a huge range of ages?

BW: You gotta watch people. You gotta watch who you’re around. I usually watch Tre Jones. He carries himself really well. He has a wife and kids. He carries himself well. He’s a good person to talk to, a good person to be around. So, I try to model myself after him, sometimes off the court. Davonte Graham, too. Even though he’s not with us, he’s a great person and a great role model to me, and he helped me throughout the process when he was with us. So yeah.

How do you think you've changed at all?

BW: Changed a lot. Changed my ways towards people. You can’t let everybody in your life and your circle. You gotta have a small circle because people want to see you lose; people want to see you win. People switch up on you one day and love you the next day. So I just try to stay close to God, close to my family, close to the people that have been with me since day one, not just because I’m in the NBA. People came over to my house and spent time with my family and me. So, I stay close to those people and not let the outside noise come in. That’s how I carry myself.

What's your all-time top five?

BW: My all-time top five is Michael Jordan at the one, Kobe Bryant at the two, LeBron James at the three, Kevin Garnett at the four, and Bill Russell at the five.

Tell me a little about this event

BW: I was with Herbalife Extravaganza, and first, they put on the clinic with me and Joe Abunassar. Yeah, yeah. One hundred-plus kids talked about nutrition. Had a basketball skills clinic, played a little 101, did some shooting drills, and just gave back to the community. I mean, that’s what I’m all about. I love giving to the community because I was once in their shoes before. So, giving back is really good for me, and I enjoy myself today.