Victor Wembanyama Is Ready for a Vacation Before the NBA: 'This Summer's Gonna Change My Life' (Exclusive)

With two Summer League games in the rearview, the NBA's No. 1 draft pick and Barcode brand ambassador is looking forward to his regular-season debut

Wemby is ready!

Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s No. 1 draft pick, has already had his share of off-the-court drama and has two Summer League games under his belt, but the 19-year-old French phenom tells PEOPLE he’s most excited about what’s to come.

“I'm gonna take just a little bit of rest before going back to the workouts and to working during the summer, and it's going to be a really intense summer,” the San Antonio Spurs star tells PEOPLE exclusively, as part of his partnership with drink maker Barcode. “You know, we're gonna be able to see great changes by the end of the summer as much on the physical level as on the technical level, you know? I think this summer's gonna change my life.”

Widely lauded as a generational talent, the 7-foot 3-and-a-half-inch center played in the Spurs’ first two games in Las Vegas last Friday and Sunday.

In what was his official NBA debut, he scored an underwhelming nine points on 2-for-13 shooting, sparking online pundits to question his fitness and frame. But two days later, the rising star turned the tables on that narrative, delivering a double-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

Related: Victor Wembanyama Claims Britney Spears 'Grabbed Me from Behind' Before Spurs Security's Alleged Assault

In a post-game press conference after the first game, Wemby was refreshingly candid, saying: “Honestly, I didn't really know what I was doing on the court tonight.”

Almost one week later, he’s had time to reflect on what changed between the two games.

“The most important was playing with more energy because I am just a rookie,” he says. “I'm gonna need time to adapt, to adjust to this level and, but the thing I can always get good is the energy.”

Now, having closed the curtain on his Summer League experience, he’s energized to see what he can do in San Antonio for a city where both its residents — who greeted him enthusiastically on the airport’s tarmac when his plane first arrived — and its basketball legends have equally welcomed him with open arms.

Shortly after he arrived in the Alamo City, he shared a special meal with the team’s former No. 1 draft picks — NBA Hall of Famers David Robinson and Tim Duncan — as well as Spurs legends Manu Ginobili and Sean Elliott.

“It was probably the best welcome I could get from the franchise because these guys, they're still important for the team, and they showed me right away that I was in good hands and that I was surrounded by people who only want good for me,” he says. “Truly, it removed any doubt that could have been there.”

As for now, the teenager is ready to get acclimated to his new home, where he says his parents, sister and brother – with whom he shared an emotional moment on draft night — may occasionally come visit.

Related: Victor Wembanyama, the NBA's Presumptive No. 1 Draft Pick, Botches 1st Pitch at Yankee Stadium

He says he's still taking recommendations for the city’s best breakfast taco, which could seemingly add a few welcome pounds to his frame.

But at the same time, he’s being mindful of his diet thanks to a new partnership with beverage maker Barcode, which was co-founded by Mubarak “Bar” Malik, former New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers director of performance, and NBA star Kyle Kuzma.

“It was a no-brainer to choose Barcode to partner with,” he says, adding that the plant-based fitness drink “really stood out” from other beverages on the market with its herbal adaptogens that work to manage stress and restore balance.

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All of which should fuel Wemby for success on the cusp of his first season in the NBA.

“As a rookie in a rebuilding team, it's not easy to win a lot of games, but my goal is going to be winning as many as we can, and to learn how to get closer to winning the title,” he says. “And hopefully in the next coming years, we're gonna win one.”

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