Spurs' Wembanyama Reveals Offseason Monk Training

The NBA superstar spent 10 days at the Shaolin Temple in China to develop his body and mind ahead of the playoffs.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 12:11am

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An abstract, energetic painting in neon colors depicting the powerful, towering figure of NBA player Victor Wembanyama engaged in intense physical training, conceptually representing his dedication to maximizing his potential.Wembanyama's unorthodox offseason training with Shaolin monks reflects his relentless drive to become an all-time NBA great.San Antonio Today

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, the 22-year-old NBA superstar, recently revealed that he spent 10 days training with Shaolin monks in China last offseason. Wembanyama, who is in line to win Defensive Player of the Year and has his sights set on MVP and multiple championships, said the experience helped him develop his body and mind ahead of the playoffs, where the Spurs will face the Portland Trail Blazers.

Why it matters

Wembanyama's unorthodox offseason training regimen with the Shaolin monks highlights his relentless drive to maximize his potential and become one of the all-time greats. The Spurs, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, are hoping Wembanyama's unique preparation will give them an edge as they look to make a deep postseason run.

The details

Wembanyama said he was motivated to train with the Shaolin monks because he felt his body still had areas to develop and he wanted to fulfill his potential as much as possible. He was initially skeptical, but after seeing a demonstration, he was convinced and took the training extremely seriously, wanting to be able to do everything the monks could do by the end of his 10-day stay. Wembanyama believes the training 'overloaded certain muscles' and made them 'stronger' and 'more resilient'.

  • Wembanyama trained with the Shaolin monks last summer.
  • The Spurs finished the regular season 62-20 and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.
  • Wembanyama's playoff debut is set for Sunday night when the second-seeded Spurs host the seventh-seeded Portland Trail Blazers.

The players

Victor Wembanyama

A 22-year-old center for the San Antonio Spurs who is in line to win Defensive Player of the Year and has his sights set on winning MVP and multiple championships.

San Antonio Spurs

An NBA team that finished the regular season 62-20 and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Portland Trail Blazers

The seventh-seeded team that will face the Spurs in the first round of the playoffs.

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What they’re saying

“I was just thinking, I'm not able to do these things physically right now. My body still has some areas to fill, some areas to develop. It's been very important for me to develop my body into what it can be and fulfill the potential as much as possible.”

— Victor Wembanyama

“[We] meet a few monks. They're very social, and they have phones and stuff. We were like, 'Hm, interesting. Let's see how it goes.' But I'm not sure it is where I want to spend these next weeks in my summer because it's an important summer. They go to show us a demonstration — a show of what they do. Thirty seconds in, we were convinced. All the doubts we might have had, long gone. I get extremely jealous.”

— Victor Wembanyama

What’s next

Wembanyama's playoff debut is set for Sunday night when the second-seeded Spurs host the seventh-seeded Portland Trail Blazers.

The takeaway

Wembanyama's unorthodox offseason training with Shaolin monks highlights his relentless drive to maximize his potential and become one of the all-time NBA greats. The Spurs are hoping his unique preparation will give them an edge as they look to make a deep postseason run.