A look at Victor Wembanyama’s summer of transformation

A ‘traumatic experience’ with a deep vein thrombosis prompted a summer of exploration for the Spurs star.

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IN A QUIET GYM Located on a sprawling 160-hectare ranch in Katy, Texas, about 30 miles east of Houston, Victor Wembanyama made the new assistant coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Rashard Lewisnear the basket.

The 21-year-old student was attending one of the most secret and legendary center camps in basketball, whose teacher has been a discreet mentor to Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James, Dwight Howard and many others. Even Kobe Bryant He spent time in this sacred place.

Other Spurs assistants, Matt Nielsen and Sean Sweeneythey looked towards the field, where the future of NBA centers He was learning from one of the icons of his past.

The field, painted the red of the Houston Rocketssported the number 34 in the center. Above him, his famous nickname in italics.

‘Dream’

Wembanyama met Hakeem Olajuwon, 62, in April during the NCAA men’s college national championship at the Alamodome in San Antonio. They sat at the foot of the court.

“He said he would love to train with me,” Olajuwon, whose NBA Hall of Fame career included two championships, 12 All-Star appearances and an MVP award, told AM850. “I told him, ‘You already have everything.’ He said, ‘No, no, no. I’ve seen you play and I’d like to know the secrets of every move now. I’d love to.'”

And so began a relationship that would culminate a summer of transformation for Wembanyama.

Six months earlier, they had diagnosed deep vein thrombosis in the right shouldera condition that endangered his career and life. The ordeal, according to a close source, deeply affected the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, so much so that it inspired him to “embark on a path to improve himself physically and mentally with innovative ideas.”

He played soccer in Costa Rica and Tokyo. It is documented that he spent 10 days on a spiritual retreat at a Shaolin temple in Zhenzhou, China, where he studied and trained with monks.

He organized a chess and basketball tournament on his court in Le Chesnay, France. He visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where he met astronaut Peggy Whitson, who holds the American record of 675 days in space.

He spent time with another iconic center, Kevin Garnett, looking to strengthen his command of the sport. “The traumatic experience…is very much related to everything I’ve done this summer,” Wembanyama said. “Spending so much time in hospitals, surrounded by doctors and hearing bad news that I wish I hadn’t heard, of course, is traumatic. But in the long run, I think it will be very beneficial because, although I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, it helps you understand lessons that nothing else could have taught you.”

Spurs coach Mitch Johnsonstates that he has never witnessed so much perspective or curiosity in such a young player.

“He’s very intentional in the various ways he tries to improve as a player and a person,” Johnson said. “He’s constantly trying to get out of his comfort zone and learn new things. Sometimes the levels he goes to and the things he thinks about can be a little nuanced, but he feels like if I can add this to my world, or my mindset, or whatever, it can help.”

BEFORE CAPTIVING to social media in July with a failed bicycle kick in Costa Rica, in addition to finishing a free kick with spin on the court in Tokyo, Wembanyama traveled to a historic Shaolin temple, founded in the 5th century.

When Wembanyama informed the Spurs board of his intentions, everyone was on board, a team source told AM850, staying true to the club’s commitment to fostering the growth of its franchise player.

“The creativity 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 man.”

For 10 days, Wembanyama would wake up at 4:30 a.m., eat vegetarian bowls of zucchini and rice noodles for breakfast, and immerse himself in Chan meditation, a school of thought that prioritizes direct experience over intellectual learning. He studied Shaolin Kung Fu. He shaved his head. He wanted to go, he said, to put his mind and body under unusual stress, to increase his range of motion, to gain strength, flexibility and balance through different exercises.

“It was an incredible experience,” he said. “Probably the furthest physical activity I usually do. It was really worth it, both in terms of training and life experience for a curious person.”

Those who have seen Wembanyama on the court this summer say he feels stronger, more in control playing through physicality and increasingly comfortable with his unprecedented skill set.

“We know the kind of talent he has,” said his teammate De’Aaron Fox. “I think people are also discovering the type of person he is. … The fact that he sees life differently, being able to travel and in some ways having a different perspective on not just sport, but life, is a testament to the person Victor is. I don’t think it surprises anyone in this stadium.”

IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER, and temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) were finally subsiding in Texas. The start of training camp was approaching, increasing excitement among the San Antonio fans, who had not seen their team reach the postseason in six seasons.

Wembanyama and his teammates attended a game of the Paris Saint-Germain in January, when the Spurs faced the Indiana Pacers in France. There, Johnson first saw the PSG ultras, a group of passionate fans who create a formidable atmosphere in the 47,929-capacity Parc de Princes stadium through giant banners, thunderous chants and even the use of flares and pyrotechnics.

Wembanyama then revealed to Johnson that he wanted to create a similar environment in the Frost Bank Center.

So, on a cool morning on September 14, fans entered the Freeman Expo Hall, next to Frost Bank, proudly shouting loudly: “Go Spurs!” Most were sporting Spurs gear, wigs, festive clothing and face paint. Some even dressed as pirates to sign up for the first amateur trials, with Wembanyama as the sole judge.

Wembanyama leaned forward in a Spurs-themed chair, similar to a replica of the ice-block throne that George “Iceman” Gervin popularized in his iconic Nike poster in 1978. Behind a curtain, just yards from Wembanyama, nervous fans — many of them meeting each other for the first time — rehearsed the impromptu chants they would shout together for minutes. after.

“Wem-VP!” was the predominant chant, bringing smiles to Wembanyama, who had agreed to cover the cost of season tickets for the five most memorable fans. He thoughtfully scribbled notes on the Spurs’ black notepad about each auditionee and listened to their stories. He asked them their names, their level of dedication to the cause, and even a few personal questions before posing for photos on the way out. Some fans banged on a Spurs drum placed at the back of the room when it was their turn to audition.

Wembanyama also played the drum and led the chanting.

The general manager of San Antonio, Brian Wright, was standing in the back, near a curtain near the exit, next to the CEO R. C. Buford, observing the scene. Arms crossed, they watched intently, almost in awe, as Wembanyama appreciatively enjoyed every second of the dozens of interactions he had throughout the morning with a fan base that regarded those brief introductions as moments forever etched in their hearts. Just four days earlier, Wembanyama had led the Spurs onto the field at Tom Moore High School in Ingram, Texas, where a massive flood in July left at least 136 dead in a region that included communities in Ingram, Kerrville, Center Point, Mason and Hunt.

Wembanyama emerged from the back of the gym, tossing black Spurs T-shirts into the crowd and applauding as the students’ screams pierced the stifling afternoon air. Wembanyama high-fived a young man in the front row. The rest of the team headed to center court behind the Frenchman for a light workout that consisted of layups, three-player intertwined drills, a half-court shooting competition and dozens of thunderous dunks, some of them after lobs against the wall behind the baskets.

Wembanyama went for an auto-alley-oop and caught the ball out of the air, taking it between his legs for a basket that drew cheers of joy. Now, all that’s left for Wembanyama is to get back on the court.

BACK IN THE GYM from Olajuwon, the Rockets icon asked Wembanyama what he wanted to achieve, a question more existential than cliché after this summer of international experience.

“Basically, I wanted to know how to take advantage. You have to take advantage of any opportunity you have, inside and out, with opportunities in different situations without wasting energy,” Olajuwon told AM850. “I know how skilled he is. So our concept was not for ‘big men’. Our concept was for ‘tall guards’. You don’t want to dribble like a big man. We are tall guards who can play 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 with the freedom to create outside, inside, cross and shoot up without wasting energy on any player, because you have the advantage every night over everyone.” Over four two-and-a-half-hour workouts in early September, Wembanyama developed his own version of the Hall of Famer’s “Dream Shake,” plus other precise spin moves that could stun his opponents this upcoming season.

Plus, there’s the jump hook, which Wemby keeps secret.

“Yes, it’s part of his moves,” Olajuwon said. “You know how good he shoots, right? Can you imagine going through the motions with him finishing his shots? If someone like him can hit the jump hook, you’re at his mercy. You can’t catch him. You can’t catch his jump shot or his jump hooks.”

His teammate Jeremy Sochan says he has already witnessed his evolution.

“You see how hard he works and how motivated he is,” Sochan said. “It’s super exciting to watch and it’s ready. I think you’re going to see a lot of things that will surprise you.” Wembanyama, for his part, credits his most unusual offseason.

“I assure you that no one has trained like me this summer,” he said. “I think I’ve reached my full potential in one summer. Now, I need to play basketball.”