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Michael C. Wright
a peace inside The gym is located on a massive 400-acre farm in Katy, Texas, about 30 miles west of Houston. Victor Wembanyama new retreated San Antonio Spurs Assistant coach Rashard Lewis near the basket.
The 21-year-old student was there to attend one of basketball’s most secretive, famous big man camps — one that his teacher quietly guided giannis antetokounmpo, Lebron JamesDwight Howard and many others. Even Kobe Bryant spent time on this most sacred of grounds.
Other Spurs assistants, Matt Nielsen and Sean Sweeney, were looking across the court, where the NBA’s future big men were learning from one of the icons of their past.
court, featured in Houston Rockets Red, emblazoned with the number 34 in its centre. Above it was his famous surname in cursive.
Dream
Wembanyama met Hakeem Olajuwon, 62, at the NCAA men’s college national championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio in April. He remained sitting in the court.
“He said he’d love to work out with me,” Olajuwon, whose Hall of Fame NBA career included two championships, 12 All-Star appearances and an MVP award, told ESPN. “I said, ‘You’ve already got everything.’ He said, ‘No, no, no. I’ve watched you play, and now I want to know the secrets behind all the moves. I would love that.”
And thus began a relationship that would end up being a summer of change for Vembanyama.
Six months ago, she was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, a condition that is both career and life threatening.
A source close to him says the ordeal deeply affected the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, so much so that it inspired “a journey of pushing myself to be great physically and mentally with things outside the box.”
He played football in Costa Rica and Tokyo. He famously spent 10 days in spiritual retreat at a Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China, where he studied and trained with monks.
He hosted chess and basketball tournaments at his courts in Le Chesne, France. He visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he learned about astronaut Peggy Whitson, who holds the American record for spending 675 days in space.
He spent time with Kevin Garnett, another iconic big man, to strengthen his grip on the mental side of the game.
“The traumatic experience… has a lot to do with everything I did over the summer,” Vembanyama said. “Spending so much time in hospitals, around doctors and hearing even more bad news that I wish I hadn’t heard, of course, it’s painful. But in the long run I think it’s going to be very beneficial because even though I don’t want it [anybody]It makes you understand lessons that nothing else could make you understand.”
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson says he has never seen such a vision or curiosity from such a young player.
“He’s so intentional in different ways that he tries to improve as a player and person,” Johnson said. “It’s constantly trying to push himself out of his comfort zone and learn new things. Sometimes, that’s the level he goes to [to] And the things that he thinks about may be a small nuance, but he feels that if I can add it to his world existence, mentality, [or] Whatever it is, it might help.”
before the captivating social Media with a failed bicycle kick in Costa Rica in July In addition to smashing a looping free kick onto the pitch in Tokyo, Wembanyama visited a historic Shaolin temple, founded in the 5th century.
A team source told ESPN that when Wembanyama informed Spurs officials of his intentions, everyone agreed, and remained true to the club’s commitment to encouraging the development of its franchise player.
“Creativity is something that has been there since day one,” Johnson said. “We want this team to be a reflection of Victor. He’s our best player. He’s our guy.”
For 10 days, Wembanyama would wake up at 4:30 a.m., eat a vegetarian breakfast bowl of zucchini and rice noodles and immerse himself in Chan meditation, a school of thought that emphasizes direct experience over intellectual learning. He studied Shaolin Kung Fu. He shaved his head.
He wanted to go, he said, putting his mind and body under unusual stress, increasing his range of motion, adding strength, flexibility and balance through various exercises.
“It was an incredible experience,” he said. “Probably as far as [off] A physical activity like I am used to doing. It really paid off in terms of training and life experience as a curious person.”
Those who have watched Wembanyama on the field this summer say he is stronger, more in control physically and more comfortable with his phenomenal skill set.
“We know what kind of talent he is,” teammates De’Aaron Fox Said. “I think people are also learning what type of person he is. … Him looking at life differently, being able to travel and come away with a different perspective not only on the game, but on life, is a testament to the person that Victor is. I don’t think it surprises anyone in this building.”
that was quick September, and the 100 degree temperatures in Texas were finally subsiding. The start of training camp approached, bringing excitement among a San Antonio fanbase that had not seen their team reach the postseason in six seasons.
Wembanyama and his teammates attended the Paris Saint-Germain game in January when Spurs played Indiana Pacers In France. While there, Johnson caught his first glimpse of the PSG Militants, a rowdy group of passionate fans who created an eerie atmosphere in the 47,929-capacity Parc de Princes stadium through the use of demonic banners, loud chants and even the use of flares and fireworks.
Vembanyama then told Johnson that he wanted to create a similar setting at the Frost Bank Centre.
So, on a cold morning on September 14, fans gathered at the Freeman Expo Hall near Frost Bank to loudly and proudly chant “Go Spurs Go!” They gathered shouting. The most sporty Spurs gear, wigs, festival-themed clothing and face paint. Some people even dressed as pirates to register for the first fan supporter trial, with Vembanyama acting as the sole judge.
Wembanyama leaned forward in a Spurs-themed chair that looked like a replica of the ice block throne made famous by George “Iceman” Gervin in his iconic Nike poster in 1978. Behind a curtain just a few feet away from Wembanyama, nervous fans – many meeting for the first time – suddenly broke into chants, which they would shout in unison a few minutes later.
“Wem-weep!” was the prevailing chant, which brought a smile to the face of Wembanyama, who promised to cover the cost of tickets throughout the season for the five most memorable fans. Intentionally, he wrote notes on each auditionee in a black Spurs notepad and listened to their stories. He asked their names, their level of dedication to the cause and even a few personal questions before getting photographed on the way out. When it came to the audition, some fans played the Spurs drum placed at the back of the room.
Vembanyama also played drums and chanted.
San Antonio general manager Brian Wright stood in the background near a curtain near the exits next to CEO RC Buford overlooking the scene. They folded their hands and watched attentively, almost amazed at how Wembanyama took with appreciation every second of the dozens of interactions he had with fans throughout the morning, treating those brief introductions as moments that would forever be etched in their hearts.
Just four days earlier, Wembanyama had led the Spurs to Tom Moore High School in Ingram, Texas, where massive flooding in July left at least 136 people dead in the area, including the communities of Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point, Mason and Hunt.
Vembanyama emerged from the back of the gym, tossing a black Spurs T-shirt into the crowd and clapping, the sound of students shouting through the stuffy afternoon air. Wembanyama shook hands with a young boy sitting in the front row. The rest of the team followed the Frenchman to center court for a light workout that included layups, three-man weave drills, a half-court shot contest and dozens of thunderous dunks, some including ridiculous lobs thrown off the wall behind baskets.
Wembanyama lofted a self alley-oop and caught the ball in the air, taking it through his legs for a jam, causing a cheer.
Now, all that remains is for Vembanyama to return to court.
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Wembley works out with Olajuwon in offseason workout
Victor Wembanyama hits the gym with NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon in the offseason.
back inside olajuwon Jim, the Rockets icon, asked Vembanyama what he wanted to achieve, more an existential question than a cliché after this summer of international experience.
“He basically wanted to know how to take advantage. Let’s take advantage of any opportunities you have, inside, outside, with opportunities in different situations without wasting energy,” Olajuwon told ESPN. “I know how skilled he is. So, our concept wasn’t for ‘big guys.’ Our concept was ‘big guards.’ You don’t want to dribble like a big man. We’re big guards where you can play 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 with the freedom to make outside, inside, crossovers and pull ups without wasting any energy on any player because every night you have an advantage on everyone.
Through four two-and-a-half-hour workouts in early September, Wembanyama developed his own variation of the Hall of Famer’s “Dream Shake” in addition to other hard spin moves that can send opponents into a tizzy this upcoming season.
Then, there’s the jump hook that Wemby is keeping a secret.
“Yeah, that’s part of his trick,” Olajuwon said. “You know how well he can shoot, right? Can you imagine the moves he can make with finishing his shots? If a guy like him can jump hooks, you’re at his mercy. You can’t get to him. You can’t get to his jump shots or jump hooks.”
TeamMite jeremy sochan Says he has already seen the development.
“You see how hard he works and how motivated he is,” Sochan said. “It’s very exciting to see him and he’s ready. I think you guys are going to see a lot of things that will surprise you.”
Wembanyama, for his part, credits his most unusual offseason.
“I can assure you that no one has ever trained like I did this summer,” he said. “I feel like I’ve gotten the most I can out of one summer. Now, I need to play basketball.”
