NBA
How much weight has Wembanyama gained ahead of his second year in NBA?
The French center spoke on Media Day ahead of his second season in the NBA and warns of what is to come: “We have focused on gaining strength.”
Victor Wembanyama has come a long way in a short space of time. The San Antonio Spurs center, the first pick in the 2023 draft, ended his debut season in the NBA with an average of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds (8th) and 3.9 assists.
Ahead of his second season in the best basketball league in the world, Wemby has been beefing up. He has gained more than 10 kilos in weight compared to last year and said that this summer he focused on “gaining strength and abs” to be more competitive when the new campaign tips off later this month.
“It’s a natural process. I’m trying to work in a way that is good for my body, to respect my body type,” said the French center at the Texas team’s Media Day, prior to the start of the new season. The Spurs will begin the regular season on October 25, in an all-Texas matchup against Luka Doncic’s Mavericks.
Wemby on the weights
“We didn’t focus on gaining weight, but weight goes up when you gain strength. I’m happy with the summer we had here,” the player added. Wembanyama, a 20-year-old, 224-centimetre prodigy who stands out for his tactical versatility and agility, weighed around 95 kilos at the start of last season, the first of his NBA career.
Now, he faces the new season weighing almost 106 kilos. Among the work done this summer, the Frenchman said that he focused on “basic aspects” of basketball. “For example, I worked a lot on finishing. These are things that seem simple for a shooting guard, but they are things that I have to focus on,” he said.
His height has never been a problem - Wembanyama can score from any position on the court. And this season, he will share the dressing room with veteran Chris Paul, a player he is determined to learn from.
“I followed him a lot, he is a player I remember watching when I was a child. I am excited, in the first week together we already learned a lot. We knew he would fit in, but the way he adapts, the way he teaches us, is very important to me. I am very, very excited,” he concluded.
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