San Antonio, TX — After a blood clot diagnosis cut his season short last February, Victor Wembanyama has returned to training with unmatched intensity, ready to lead the San Antonio Spurs this season.
Teammates describe the French 7-foot-4 center’s offseason as “brutal” and “unprecedented.” In one grueling drill, Wembanyama defended every player in the gym consecutively without a break, sprinting to the other end of the court after each round. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone work out like that,” said Julian Champagnie.
“This summer, I chose to do something much more violent. Maybe it takes away from some time I can spend on shooting, but it doesn’t matter. I wanted to get my body back,” Wembanyama said at Spurs media day.
Following his deep vein thrombosis diagnosis, Wembanyama spent the offseason traveling to China and Japan, practicing Shaolin Kung Fu, Chan meditation, and exploring life beyond basketball. “It makes you understand lessons that nothing else could have made me understand,” he explained.
Back in the U.S., his focus shifted to basketball. Wembanyama trained with veteran Harrison Barnes and skill coach Noah LaRoche using the Constraints-Led Approach (CLA), a game-like training method that forces adaptive decision-making and strengthens basketball IQ. Teammates like Champagnie and Lindy Waters III were stunned by his intensity and discipline.
“At his age, it’s eye-opening to see somebody come in and demand excellence and greatness. He can’t do that without putting himself on a pedestal,” said Waters.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson echoed the admiration, stating, “I just really am in awe sometimes of just the levels that he goes to… I know I wasn’t thinking like that at that age.”
Wembanyama emphasized defense as a cornerstone for the Spurs:
“From the first game of the preseason, defense is a non-negotiable. We’re going to hold each other accountable… It doesn’t matter your status, defense is non-negotiable.”
With his body stronger, conditioning improved, and mind sharpened, Wembanyama is ready for a season that could cement him as one of the most dominant players in NBA history.
“I can assure you, nobody has trained like I did this summer… So everything is a green light,” he said.