Victor Wembanyama Talks ‘Much More Violent’ NBA Offseason Training on Defense

After his second season in the NBA was cut short due to the discovery of deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, San Antonio Spurs star big man Victor Wembanyama attacked the offseason with fury in hopes of building his body back up.

“My training this summer, it was brutal,” Wembanyama said at Spurs media day, per The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. He went on to explain that he committed to a strict regimen that didn’t include much offensive work.

“This summer, I chose to do something much more violent,” Wembanyama added. “Maybe that takes away from some time I can spend on shooting the basketball, but it doesn’t matter. I wanted to get my body back.”

Wembanyama was averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 3.8 blocks before his season ended in February after just 46 games. Weiss explained, “The doctor visits, the games watching from the sideline, it all got to him.” The 21-year-old traveled across the world and “lived life to the fullest this summer” before beginning his preparation for the 2025-26 season.

Wembanyama arrived back to San Antonio for training camp with a renewed energy, evidenced by an intense drill in which he “defends a one-on-one sequence against every player in the gym without a breather. Once he’s taken everyone on, he sprints down to the other end of the court and goes right back into it,” per Weiss.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone work out like that,” Spurs wing Julian Champagnie told Weiss. “It’s crazy to see.”

Wembanyama made it clear that his commitment to the defensive side of the ball this year will emanate through the entire team, which would surely help San Antonio return to playoff contention.

“From the first game of the preseason, (defense) is a non-negotiable. It’s not something you can’t do if you want to be a part of our team,” Wembanyama said. “We’re going to hold each other accountable. We know the coaches are gonna hold us accountable. It doesn’t matter your status, defense is non-negotiable.”

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