San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama reached the NBA Finals much earlier than many expected, but the 22-year-old French superstar admitted he was not fully prepared for the challenge of competing for a championship.

“Obviously, we weren’t ready, I wasn’t ready to win a ring — that’s clear,” a disappointed Wembanyama said after the New York Knicks defeated the Spurs 94-90 at home to seal a 4-1 victory in the NBA Finals on Saturday.

The Spurs had held double-digit leads in each of their four losses during the series, leaving Wembanyama frustrated by the number of errors and missed opportunities from the young San Antonio squad.

“In terms of wanting to succeed, intensity and effort, we were at a good level — myself included,” he said. “But experience is what makes the difference, and it comes down to mistakes.

“We’re not missing talent or ability, but we make too many mistakes. I make too many mistakes.”

The 22-year-old center, now in his third NBA season, guided the Spurs to the second-best regular-season record in the league.

San Antonio then defeated defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, overcoming two elimination games to win the series in seven matches.

However, against a disciplined and experienced Knicks team, the young Spurs struggled under pressure and were ultimately undone by costly mistakes.

The series included several costly moments for Wembanyama and the Spurs, including a crucial late turnover from the young star in Game 2 and a flagrant foul in Game 4 that appeared to motivate the Knicks. New York responded by fighting back from a 29-point deficit to claim the win.

Wembanyama, who was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, started strongly in Saturday’s must-win matchup but could only watch as San Antonio once again lost control of a double-digit advantage in the fourth quarter.

“Compared to anything before, this is the biggest lesson of my life and the biggest learning experience,” Wembanyama said.

“I can’t tell you exactly what the lesson is right now, but we’re definitely learning from it.”

The French star described the season as an incredible journey filled with valuable experience, while admitting one of the toughest parts of the defeat was knowing the Spurs may have to wait a long time for another championship opportunity.

“There could be a hundred games before we’re back in the Finals,” he said. “I’ll have to carry this with me, slow down, wait, and focus on executing over those hundred games.”

The fact that many basketball legends, including Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Magic Johnson, also experienced playoff disappointments before winning championships offered little comfort.

“It’s painful,” Wembanyama admitted.

“But I’m not running away from it. I’m going to use it as motivation. I’m sure all those players you mentioned were never satisfied with early playoff exits or missing the postseason.

“I’m not satisfied with not winning. But as I said, this is the biggest lesson of my life. As a team, there’s no better experience than what we’ve just gone through.”