Before the season began, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama took a different approach to preparation than other players around the league.
During June 2025, the former No. 1 pick had a 10-day stay with monks in the Shaolin Temple near Dengfeng in the Henan Province of China. After unfortunately missing the end of his 2024-25 campaign due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, this was his way of getting back on his feet.
Knicks head coach Mike Brown recently joked that the only way to guard Wembanyama is to pray, and even the French-born superstar had that part covered after spending time with monks.
He practiced meditation, kung fu and balance training, mountain hikes. He enjoyed a vegetarian monastery life while nearly totally detoxing from digital media. His agent Bouna Ndiaye spoke to ESPN about the decision:
“Basically he wanted to have a physical transformation so he can run forever and use his physical tools to get closer to the basket,” Ndiaye said. “And then he wanted to be challenged.”
Wembanyama shaved his head and wore monastery robes during his stay at the Shaolin temple in China.
His unique experienced helped him prepare for a grueling season that was highlighted by winning Western Conference Finals MVP, earning a trip to the NBA Finals during his third year in the league.
The 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year gained a singular perspective both on and off the court after this one-of-one trip.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Why Victor Wembanyama spent his offseason with Shaolin monks in China