The 2024/25 season ended early for the San Antonio super-rookie: in February, Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Without the Frenchman, the "Spurs" finished the regular season 34–48 and missed the playoffs. In March, the center successfully underwent surgery, skipped EuroBasket to focus on NBA preparation, and made the offseason his best coach: discipline, new skills, and meetings with legends turned a forced break into a growth accelerator.
Shaolin: Discipline of Body and Mind
In early June, Victor went on a 10-day Shaolin retreat. It was full immersion — from a shaved head to the monastery routine: 4:30 a.m. wake-ups, morning runs, hours of kung fu practice, meditations, and a strict vegetarian diet built on simple dishes like rice noodles with zucchini. To avoid losing muscle mass (he has added about 14 kg since entering the NBA), Wembanyama admitted he occasionally slipped out “for some meat.” The result — an initial level in the Shaolin kung fu system and a tangible boost in mobility, balance, and core strength. As Victor put it, he deliberately took his body out of typical basketball loads — to return more flexible and resilient.
Fanatics Fest: Learning From Greatness — Not for Selfies
Right after the retreat, the Frenchman found himself at the heart of one of the USA’s biggest sports festivals — Fanatics Fest in New York. There he took the stage with comedian Kevin Hart, met thousands of fans, and even played a one-on-one mini-game with a child. Names like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, and Dennis Rodman were everywhere at the venue, and Victor stressed the key point: he gathers knowledge systematically. On his phone is a list of questions for his idols, from Durant to LeBron; at the All-Star Game he spoke with Nikola Jokić for a full 45 minutes. He writes down advice — and returns to it. This approach is about craft, not hype.
Hoops Gambit: When the Endgame Meets Isolation
In July, Wembanyama focused on his hometown of Le Chesnay: he organized the Hoops Gambit tournament combining basketball (1×1 and 3×3 formats) with chess. Victor played two games himself: he lost to International Master Julien Song and beat Rudy Gobert. Earlier, at Fanatics Fest, he put on a show — playing chess simultaneously against a hundred fans. The passion for 64 squares isn’t a whim: chess hones strategic thinking, timing, and option reading — all of which translate directly to the court in decision-making and off-ball work.
Training With Legends: Garnett on Mindset, Olajuwon on Details
After receiving a full medical green light, Victor dove into individual work with Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwon. From “The Dream” came trademark post-game lessons: stances, footwork, spins, fakes, body positioning, and reading double-teams. Add the defensive nuances: positioning in drop coverage, body angles in switches, and block timing at the point of contact. Olajuwon noted Wembanyama’s humility and focus, emphasizing that the blood-clot episode is behind him and he’s ready to load up again. For a 21-year-old big man, these are courses in “reinforced classics”: add even a slice of Hakeem’s fundamentals to the arsenal and the league will feel it.
Off the Court: Football, High Fashion, and a Voice From the Future
Victor’s summer wasn’t only about workouts. He played football with kids in Costa Rica and curled a free kick into the upper-90 in Ronaldo fashion; at a school he threw down a dunk over a fan; he stopped by a Louis Vuitton show; he voiced his own alien character in season 13 of "Futurama" and became the hero of the animated series "Alien Dunk"; he visited a NASA facility; met Daniel Radcliffe; and took part in tryouts for the San Antonio supporters’ section. This kaleidoscope of activities isn’t a distraction — it’s an investment in broader horizons and stress resilience, vital over a long, dense regular season.
What It Means for the "Spurs": An Upgrade on Both Ends
The combo of “Shaolin discipline + chess logic + the masters’ craft” should show up in specifics. Offensively — a sturdier base in back-to-the-basket play, sharper timing on cuts and weak-side slips, cleaner decisions against double-teams. Defensively — smarter positioning in pick-and-roll, fewer hand-check fouls, and more quality verticality and contests without early-foul risk. With that growth, Victor enters 2025/26 not just as a phenomenon of length and coordination, but as a formed leader who understands that elite level is the sum of small details repeated a thousand times.
Wembanyama endured a difficult spring but did the essential thing — he turned the pause into a foundation. He strengthened his body, disciplined his mind, layered his technique, and brought a new version of himself to the "Spurs." If this upgrade carries consistently through 82 games, San Antonio will raise its ceiling, and Victor will edge closer to the statuses already whispered about: All-NBA, DPOY — and talk of dominance for years to come.
