Extended Interview: Victor Wembanyama on playing style, training and life off the court

What did you do this past summer to nourish your spirit? >> To nourish my spirit, uh, I think there's one main thing was just being in France, hanging out there, even when I practiced, you know, seeing my siblings, my family, my friends almost every day. So, nothing comes close to this in terms of nourishing my spirit. >> No, no monastery, but you got to go back home. >> Exactly. >> You said a few times basketball is really hard. Mhm. >> What specifically is hard about basketball to you? >> It depends. In this league, in the NBA, what's hard is showing up every single night over a long year. But, uh, when you take a step back, really, it's not a hard life. No, it's Is it like a demanding? Oh, yes. Very demanding, but not a hard life. >> What's the most demanding part of basketball? >> I would say it's a sport where just effort is not enough. And just being a technical player is not enough. You have to have a mix of both.

>> Talk about that. You're putting the ball on the floor. You're you're dribbling. You're dunking in traffic. You're shooting the three, blocking shots. What part of basketball specifically brings you the greatest joy? >> I think alioops in particular because alioops a team play and also a dunk. I like alioops. >> It's like a telepathy. >> Yeah, exactly. Yeah. >> You ever you ever thrown an alioop? >> Of course I have. So you you've been the recipient >> more than I've thrown it. Of course, as I should, but I've thrown a few for sure. >> No one's ever played the game like you. No one has had your combination of size and skill set. There's no blueprint here. So, how are you figuring out >> how to train, how to pace yourself, how to even envision your career when no one's done it before you? >> It's true. It is a uh difficulty first of all because of the player than I am but also being a foreigner here growing up in totally different environment and uh I think the key is being comfortable not knowing being comfortable finding out my own answers.

>> Are you comfortable? >> I am comfortable not knowing my answers. I am comfortable walking through the fog. >> What's it like when you make it through the fog? When you figure something out? those brief moments where my head peaks through and sees the sun. Yeah, they're great. Last year, there was this I think the month of February, we didn't lose a single game. This is these moments where everything clicks. You know, >> you were born after the Spurs had already started winning championships. When you were a kid, what was your impression of this franchise, this organization? >> The franchise with the greatest coach of all time, the franchise with a a big French history as well. Yeah, just a winning a winners franchise, you know, >> greatest coach of all time. You're talking about Pop. Yeah. Talking about Greg Papovit, who you played for and got very close to. What's the most important thing he ever told you? >> One lesson that often comes up >> is uh about humility. He often said something when we were in film. After a win, you're rarely as good as you thought you were. And after a loss, you're rarely as bad as you thought you were. So, never too high, never too low.

Sounds easier said than done. >> And I've I've made that mistake before. >> You didn't just dream of playing in the NBA. >> You learned English in part because you thought it would make your life easier when you got to the NBA. >> Now that you're here, how much does it align with what you had imagined as a kid? >> The NBA? >> Yeah. >> It's all It's everything that I imagined. I think as a NBA player and if you're if you're amongst the also the stars of this league, you really make your career whatever you want to make it. Of course, you're always going to do your best on the court the best that you can. But on the side, you can choose to be the influencer. You can choose to be the philanthropist. You can choose to be the the guy that's going to promote gambling and alcohol. You can choose whatever you want. So, it's really everything that I imagine. Someone said, "What did you choose?" You You have all these options. What did you choose? What would you say? >> I think my choice isn't final because I'm still grown as a person, but I want to promote uh healthy things. And healthy I don't mean just the food, but uh healthy habits, things that make people's lives better uh and things that and in the future also things that make society better hopefully. Where do you get that?

>> I don't know. Of uh I think my family most more than anything else. >> I want to make sure I get this right. So, I want to read this. You you recently said, "As as the years go by, I have fewer and fewer filters. I'm less afraid to say what I think." >> For most athletes, it's sometimes the opposite. >> Yeah. It's been the opposite for me at some point, of course, but felt like I've I've grown past that edge. Was there a moment when you said I don't want to be guarded anymore? >> Uh yeah, there is. I think the the the condition I had early 2025, the thrombosis, it's uh had a hu huge impact on this. >> He's referring to a blood clot he suffered in his shoulder in 2025, which shut down his second season. >> After that, it's like life's so short. I don't I don't even want to waste it being somebody else, you know. Simple as that. >> You were upfront last year. I should have won the MVP. You made a strong case. I'm guessing your your views haven't changed on that.

>> You should have won the MVP. >> That's what you said. >> Did I? >> Did you have won the MVP last year? >> Uh, no. I should win it this year, though. Last year in the finals, you were portrayed as a villain. Correct me if I'm wrong. I didn't get the feeling that bothered you. >> No, it didn't because I'm not paying attention to this during the finals. I don't think any player on either team really is. >> I wondered if you didn't show, hey, this is part of my character, too. Edgywi, whatever it is, but you showed a new side of yourself. >> It showed my limits more than anything else. Going out there, you need to play basketball. You don't need to beat the out of people [laughter] if you want to win. At least >> you got to the finals. >> When you think back to the playoffs, >> what specific moment do you replay the most? >> I think there's two. Uh I think uh games there's three I would say game one in OKC, game seven in OKC, and game four in New York.

>> Why game four in New York? because it's uh the most intense heartbreak moment in uh in my career. >> I want to ask you about chess. >> Mhm. >> Explain the basketball chess overlap. Is there a basketball chess overlap? >> Yes, there is. I find that chess is a lot about decision- making and that looks like basketball a lot at least in theory because there are some theoretical good moves >> as opponents go. How tough was Louise? >> Was she the last one with the glasses? >> Yeah, >> she was she was tough. [applause] >> Do you remember your chess games? Do you play them back in your head? >> Some of them. Yes. >> What What do you remember about them? >> The blenders. >> You remember the mistakes, the turnovers, the the dribbling off your knee? >> Yeah, exactly. >> Are you getting better >> at chess?

>> Yeah. Uh right now, no. Sometimes in the summer, yeah, but during the year, not not that much. >> We'd heard that sometimes when you do cardio, when you do your conditioning, you're playing chess at the same time. >> It's been a while. I mean, as I said, it's decision- making. >> What does that even look like to do your cardio while playing chess? >> So, it's uh it depends. often it's on the bike and then they set up like a big box on the left or on the right and they they put the chess board on top and I play against the front office guys which are really smart and really good at chess for a lot of them and uh sometimes I beat them, sometimes they beat me. >> We've heard of handicaps in chess. I'm not sure I've ever heard of someone doing the exercise bike while the opponent's just uh there. I like I go say it's I don't know sometimes it's it could be four minutes and one minute rest you know some something like this and during the rest that's when I play. >> Why do you train the way you train? >> So I think this the way I train it's always changing. I'm always trying to learn and meeting new people.

And why? Because first of all I'm curious. Second of all because I want to do what's best. And also I want to do what's best for me. It's different for everybody. So why do I train the way I train? Because uh big men have always had feet problems. And uh I also find more and more that feet are responsible for so much more that goes on. It's funny because I was just talking to a rookie. I went to the to practice barefoot and he sees me walking without shoes and he was like, "I didn't know you could just not wear shoes. You said you've learned that feet are very important. Yes. >> For an athlete, for a basketball player, for you. >> What do you do to protect the feet? >> Strengthening them. >> And I think strengthening them, first of all, it it takes time. I'm better right now than I was two years ago. Even better than I was 5 years ago. But the the feet have very intricate muscles, much more than what we're taught about. And you know there's um I try to walk barefoot as much as I can and wear minimalistic shoes. Those aren't minimalist. Those are maximalist. It does get a thick soul, you know. They're looking nice though if you want to. They look very nice.

>> But these are what you wear. Just go really easy on the feet. You're not going to pen. Then you just wear for 60 Minutes interviews. >> But you're you're you're cool walking around barefoot though. >> Yeah, of course. So basically, you need to you need to strengthen your feet. And what shoes do like shoes like yours for example, they don't respect the natural shape of the foot. So they don't allow it to work the way it's supposed to. But and what I mean by that is spplaying and applying force down through the toes and through the toes and through the base of the big toe especially. And um what's what this is going to bring you if you got a good foot strength which brings a good foot posture everything else can develop the right way knee hip and back everything and then you can strengthen everything in the right direction. >> If basketball doesn't work out podiatry you have you have a future. >> We'll see. I >> I wonder if someone as curious as you enjoy sort of hacking the training of all of it. I mean the the games are great but you've got to stay in shape.

So it kind of goes back to if I understand that well it kind of goes back to being comfortable in walking through the unknown because no yeah nobody has trained nobody like me first of all I doubt that there's anybody else like me but nobody like me or similar to me has trained the way I'm training and I'm trying to figure out the answers and I'm checking boxes and uh sometimes I try something nope it's not working we push on the side try onto the next thing and we work on from there. >> You appreciate that most other athletes there's always someone before them or I can follow this path. You don't >> It is a It is a uh difficulty that I face. Yes. But I've known I signed up for that. I know that it's lonely up on the mountain top. >> Doesn't that also kind of make it fun that you're charting your own path? >> I wouldn't want it to be different.

Last summer you trained at a Chinese monastery famously. Did >> you get into the meditation? How'd you do with it? Uh >> it was hard be because they push it to the next level. It was really hard. I think the first very first day it was an hour 40 of meditation. Silence to complete silence. It was crazy. It was really hard. >> You've never done anything like that? >> Nothing close to that. >> What was the longest you could go meditating? I was probably locked in for 30 minutes and then an hour and a half wondering how much longer is it going to go on for. Yeah. >> Someone told me you meditate briefly in between free throws. >> You could call that meditation. I guess >> where do your thoughts go? >> I think centering back uh you know thinking that it's it's at the end of the day just a regular shot because when you try to make it too technical it becomes like a robot. You're trying to think about nothing or think about something very specifically.

>> Nothing for a second and then focusing on making the shot. >> Do you know your free throw percentage? >> 82. I >> say it was like 82%. You're doing something right. >> Could be better. >> You appreciate that. Never mind athletes. Not all people have your level of curiosity. >> Yeah. It's the defining trait of mine. >> Historically, some players have resisted San Antonio. It's a small market. There are no beaches. It doesn't maybe have the nightife of Miami or LA. You You wanted to come here. >> Yeah. >> Why? >> Because of the franchise. Because of the the history. I know this is where I belong. >> It's your fourth year. It's the Jackals second year. >> Mhm. That's right. >> What are we looking for this season from the Jackals? Uh, I hope some new members. First of all, I know it's going to happen. Some more seats in the arena hopefully. And, uh, also some inspiration, some more inspiration from overseas. Great examples.

>> What's the vibe you're going for? I think the vibe I'm going for is uh with time to become something intimidating, you know, something uh powerful in the community, something uh inspiring as well because it feels like we're in a a new era of the Spurs. You know, there's been different momentum over the years, and it feels like we're now we got a young core. We shouldn't be a lottery team anytime soon after being a lottery team for some years. We're in a new era. feels like uh fandom for the Spurs deserves also a new era, you know, and deserves a a new level of involvement. And I want to allow this the fans that want to to be involved like this. And if I can show them a little bit of what I've seen, what I've experienced firsthand if they're in on it, let's go. We're going to become like the the PSG ultras or the the Panatikos, you know, one day. One thing at a time. But this is what I'm going for. We're trying to be one of one. Antio, >> you had a number of teammates that you hosted in Paris over the summer. What did you want to show them about your country, your culture?

>> I wanted to show them, you know, the the refinement at times, but also how I I I would take care of them, you know, because it's it it really matters to me. But it it did more for me than for them that they came because >> because I don't know, I just take it very it goes straight to my heart. >> What about the reverse? When friends and family in in France say, "What's it like living in the US?" >> When they ask me what's what it's like to live in the US, my answer is always, "Well, I don't know because I don't live a normal life in the US. I live the life of an athlete, of a a rich person, uh you know, the life of somebody that's going to have everything taken care taken care of, you know, no matter what I do really. So, it's not it's not the life of an the regular American. [snorts] But, um it's is the best country to be an athlete in. >> You acknowledge you don't live a typical existence here, but but even so, what about this country has struck you?

>> Good or bad? >> One of each. Good is how like you never it feels like you're never judged for being ambitious. Bad I would say uh I think the social interactions are more shallow here. More not as in-depth as uh what I've seen in other countries. >> Jordan was 28 when he won his first title. LeBron 27. What's your relationship with patience? love hate relationship. >> Say more. >> I think the best thing to do is to have it to have patience while trying to fight it as well. Basically, you're trying to take all the lessons that patience can bring you while trying to prove it wrong at the same time and say there's no reason I would wait, you know.