San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is one of the most tantalizing basketball players in the world right now.
His skill set is like no other; he’s able to move like a guard while towering over other NBA players at seven-foot-four, and at 21 years old, he’s just scratching the surface of his full potential.
He spent his offseason training in just about any way you can imagine, whether it was spending time in the gym with NBA legends Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin Garnett, studying meditation and kung fu, or training with monks at a Shaolin temple in Zhenzhou, China. The dedication the Frenchman has to his craft is absolutely astounding.
And it’s all a part of his drive to become the best version of himself he can be.
Wembanyama’s Lessons from Hakeem the Dream
What started as a chance meeting at the NCAA men’s college national championship in San Antonio turned into a Summer mentorship between Wembanyama and the all-time great center Olajuwon.
Olajuwon would work out Wembanyama at his ranch just outside Houston, passing on his experience from a storied 18-year NBA career.
“He said he would love to work out with me. I said, ‘You’ve got everything already.’ He said, ‘No, no, no. I’ve watched you play, and I’d like to know now just the secrets behind all the moves. I would love that,’” Olajuwon told ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.
There’s arguably no better player a center could base his game on, as Olajuwon, an MVP and two-time NBA champion, is regarded as one of the best bigs to ever step on a basketball court. His footwork and agility are the stuff of legend.
“His advice felt natural. Even though it was a lot, it felt like I was absorbing it every day. It looked like it was a pleasure for him to teach. I would want to go again for sure,” Wembanyama said.
Leadership Lessons from Kevin Garnett
Olajuwon wasn’t the only NBA legend Wembanyama learned from, even seeking out the advice of Garnett, another former champion and MVP.
“[Working with Garnett] was super interesting. He’s got a very unique perspective on relationships with teammates, opponents, even refs and media. He’s really smart emotionally. He’s got this energy but knows how to channel it and use it for the best,” Wembanyama told reporters at San Antonio Spurs media day.
The young phenom’s season was cut short last year due to blood clots, and Wembanyama spoke openly about how the experience impacted him and led him to go on his journey this summer to expand his game and learn more about himself.
“The traumatic experience … is very much linked to all the stuff I’ve done in the summer. Spending so much time in hospitals, around doctors and hearing more bad news that I wish I hadn’t heard, of course, it is traumatic. But in the long run I think it’s going to be very beneficial because even though I don’t wish it on [anybody], it makes you understand lessons that nothing else could have made you understand,” he told ESPN.
Now, with nothing but the NBA season on the horizon, all the ascending star has to do is put it all together and show the basketball world the fruits of his labor.
“I can assure you nobody has trained like I did this summer. I think I’ve maxed out what I could do in one summer. Now, I need to play basketball.”
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