Victor Wembanyama has a passion he’s eager to share, one that might seem unexpected. He’s engrossed in a series of fantasy novels titled The Witcher, encompassing six books about a hunter of supernatural creatures. “It took three years, but I’ve finally completed them,” Wembanyama reveals. “It’s astounding. You feel like you truly know these characters after following their journeys for so long.” His literary interests don’t stop there; they also include The Hobbit, Game of Thrones, and Berserk, a Japanese manga. “I’m drawn to any well-crafted work of art,” says the 20-year-old. While his basketball abilities were honed from Paris to San Antonio, it’s the richly detailed worlds of Middle-earth and Westeros that have sculpted his mental landscape. “The intricacies of these stories impart lessons as much as they entertain,” he adds.
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In the warmth of mid-September, Wembanyama finds a moment of respite on a sofa inside the Spurs’ training complex, briefly escaping the intense heat of San Antonio. He thrives on discussions about a broad range of topics, from art and literature to science and speculative fiction. “He’s inherently inquisitive,” notes Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. Last season, Wembanyama’s agent organized a conversation with French astronaut Thomas Pesquet. “Listening to them, it was hard to tell who was the astronaut,” his agent remarks. During a trip to Utah, Wembanyama met with acclaimed fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson. Additionally, in August, Popovich arranged for Peniel Joseph, a University of Texas associate dean and expert on the Black Power movement history, to talk about voting rights with the team. As a non-U.S. citizen, Wembanyama can’t vote in American elections, but he stayed afterwards to ask more questions.
[ Buy now: Victor Wembanyama on Sports Illustrated’s November 2024 cover, the NBA and college basketball preview issue ]
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Wembanyama doesn’t see his curiosity as anything out of the ordinary. “I’m simply interested in understanding things,” he explains. Others, however, view it differently. “Mention any topic, and he grasps it quickly,” observes Spurs general manager Brian Wright. “By the next conversation, he’ll have delved deeper into that subject.” His representatives describe a client who meticulously understands every contract he’s involved in. Jordan Howenstine, a member of the Spurs’ PR team, muses that Wembanyama could have pursued a career in aerospace engineering. Popovich sees a potential writer in him, while Wembanyama himself thinks he could have been a physiotherapist. “It seems my rare combination of size and skill has perhaps overshadowed my other potential paths,” he reflects. “I have many ideas, and life is going to be about more than just basketball.”
But he is really good at basketball. Last fall, Wembanyama entered the NBA amid high expectations and surpassed them. Averaging 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, he also led the league in blocks, clinching the Rookie of the Year title and coming in second for the league’s best defender. The media notes detailing his achievements stretch over 11 pages. He participated in 71 games, dispelling doubts about whether his slender build could withstand a full NBA season. “I learned a tremendous amount,” Wembanyama says. “I had never played 70 games in a season before, and it flew by.”
When his debut season concluded, Wembanyama returned to France. He spent time with family and friends and engaged in leisure activities like paintball. It was a somewhat relaxing break, though he admits he prefers having a structured routine. “The NBA’s resources are unparalleled,” he marvels. “Everything I need is right here at the Spurs’ facility—chefs, coaches, you name it.” His life, he insists, must be orderly. At 9:00 PM each evening, he switches his phone to airplane mode and loses himself in a book. “It’s ironic,” he notes, “but I feel more exhausted when I’m on vacation.”
After the Spurs’ season ended in early April, Wembanyama was soon back in San Antonio. Coach Popovich handed him a list—split evenly between offensive and defensive skills—to focus on during the off-season. For six weeks, he diligently worked on these areas. After competing with the French national team, where he averaged 15.8 points per game and helped secure a silver medal, he returned to individual training sessions and team scrimmages. In the evenings, he would return to the gym to practice shooting, primarily three-pointers. “There’s an electric vibe around here,” he says. “What you saw last season was impressive, but there’s more to come.”
The message was surprising. Since retiring from the NBA in 2020, Jamal Crawford, a slick-handling scorer, has dabbled in individual coaching. Guards, mostly, a position Crawford adeptly played for 20 seasons. In March, Crawford’s phone buzzed. Victor would like to work out with you, Ndiaye texted. Do you have time to come to Texas after the season? Wembanyama, in tinkering with ways to improve his pull-up three, admired how Crawford was able to shake defenders and was hoping to collect a few pointers. In June, Crawford flew to San Antonio. For several days, the two ran drills. “It’s actually scary how fast he learns,” Crawford says. “He was picking up footwork and rhythms that took me years in a matter of minutes.” At night, the two went to dinner, where Wembanyama would mine Crawford’s mind. “I’ve never met a 20-year-old like him,” Crawford says. “When it comes to basketball, working with him is one of the greatest things I’ve ever been a part of.”
This is the truly terrifying part of Wembanyama. He isn’t trying to be great at one thing. He wants to be great at everything. Last season was a lot of trial and error for the Spurs and their young center. Popovich started Jeremy Sochan, a power forward, at point guard for most of the season. Zach Collins started alongside Wembanyama before the Spurs opted for more floor spacing. San Antonio’s 22 different starting lineups were tied for the 11th most in the league.
Offensively, Wembanyama’s role changed nightly. Popovich worked him on the wings and high post. “The Nowitzki spots,” Popovich says. He encouraged him to bring the ball up after a rebound. Pick-and-rolls as both
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