On February 20, Victor Wembanyama’s so far clear dream in the NBA suddenly came to an end. The announcement of his venous thrombosis, while he was having a great second season, was brutal, sending the 21-year-old to the sidelines at least until next season. Eight months later, “Wemby” is preparing to make his return, on the night of Wednesday October 22 to Thursday October 23, against the Dallas Mavericks.
But don’t count on him to have done everything like everyone else during this long forced break. The first phase, in the hospital, was obviously the most painful but the philosophy follower and black holes in astronomy found something else there. “Spending so much time in the hospital, surrounded by doctors and hearing even more bad news that I would have preferred never to hear, is obviously traumatic. But in the long run, I think it will be very beneficial, because although I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, it allows us to learn lessons that nothing else could have taught us.”admitted the person concerned at ESPN.
Once he got back on his feet, there was still no question of doing like everyone else. Before resuming the intensity of training, “Wemby” traveled far from the cameras to the four corners of the globe, always in his quest to learn, even (and sometimes especially) off the court.
He reappeared at the end of April during an impromptu football match in Costa Rica, before starting a retreat in China, with Shaolin monks, in June. Shaving your head, learning kung fu, getting up at 4:30 a.m. to meditate: a giant 2.24 meters in search of the greatest humility. “It was an incredible experience. It really paid off, both in terms of training and life experience for someone who is curious.”, welcomed the person concerned at ESPN.
Passed back in July by France for a tournament mixing basketball and chesshis other great passion, at home in Chesnay (Yvelines), Victor Wembanyama concluded his summer wanderings with a visit to NASA in Houston at the beginning of September. An offseason of cultivating his mind when he couldn’t develop his game. “He’s constantly trying to get out of his comfort zone and learn new things. Sometimes the levels he reaches and his thoughts can be subtle, but he feels like if he can incorporate that into his world, into his mindset, it can help him.”reveals his coach Mitch Johnson.
Because once on his feet, the “Alien” neglected nothing in his preparation with the ball in hand. He surrounded himself with two legends at his position, Kevin Garnett and Hakeem Olajuwon, to enrich his arsenal. The first to strengthen your mind, the second to sharpen your technique.
With “KG”, known for shouting at his opponents, Wemby sought the aggressiveness that he was probably still lacking. He answered the call from the 2004 MVP to come train in Los Angeles during his podcast on January 24, to rub shoulders with local players who play very hard games, much less polite than in the NBA. “Come and compete at this level of play for a whole week, and see how you do,” urged the “Big Ticket.”
“To me, the next level for Wemby is presence. To shine, to claim the light, to become a demon! When you reach that level, you have become a demon.”
Kevin Garnett, champion NBA et MVP 2004in his podcast “Ticket & The Truth” on January 24
As feared by his opponents as he is appreciated by his teammates, Kevin Garnett “has a very unique perspective on dealing with teammates, opponents, even referees and the media… He has that energy but knows how to channel it and use it best”specified “Wemby” at a press conference.
With Hakeem Olajuwon, who had already been approached by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or Giannis Antetokounmpo before him, the atmosphere was more subdued. But what better than the exceptional offensive palette of “Hakeem The Dream” to refine yours? “He told me he would love to train with me. I replied: ‘But you already have everything! He said, ‘No, no, no. I saw you play, and I would like to know the secrets behind all your moves”, traced the double NBA champion with Houston (1994 and 1995) at ESPN in early October.
The progress was obvious in pre-season, but thrombosis already seems very far away. “Everything he does is designed to become a great player. It gave him time to think about his approach. He did unique, creative things to push himself to the limit, physically and mentally. All this is transcribed on the floor afterwards”recounted, admiringly, his general manager Brian Wright, le 30 septembre.
In training, his teammates were also able to see the sudden change in the Frenchman. Winger Keldon Johnson discusses “the spark that rekindled the flame of victory. He is hungry, he absolutely wants to win, but at the same time he always puts his teammates first.“New arrival Luke Kornet told him he had been “impressed by his work ethic, his thinking around the game to reach a new level”.
Carmelo Anthony, the former glory of the New York Knicks, was downright enthusiastic about Wembanyama’s upcoming season, seeing him already close to the title of best player of the regular season (MVP). “He can finish at the top of all existing statistical categories. He can accumulate 25 points, 15 rebounds, five blocks on average, why not 12 assists, six interceptions, these are video game numbers, we have never seen a player like him”the 41-year-old former scorer exclaimed on Friday in the podcast “7PM in Brooklyn”.
Is the collective “ignition” justified? It is the person concerned who speaks about it best. “I’m already ready, I’m 100%”, he said two weeks before the resumption. “I can assure you that no one trained like me this summer. I think I gave the most of what I could do in one summer. Now I have to play basketball”stamped inside.
“I think you’re going to see a lot of things that will shock you“, warned his teammate Jeremy Sochan. If the first “ultras” club in the NBA, launched a month ago at the initiative of the Frenchman in San Antoniowill have to wait until Sunday to see it, the Dallas public will be the first to see, on Wednesday, the new version of the Alien.
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