Inside Victor Wembanyama’s Return to the NBA: Monks, Chess, and a Comeback Season

Double-takes greet San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama wherever he roams — standard fare for someone who stands 7-foot-3.

Applause often follows “Wemby” as well, and news Monday of his recovery from a blood clot issue that prematurely ended his season should bring fans to their feet — not merely for the good of the NBA, but for themselves.

Can you imagine trolling this feel-good Frenchman? Anyone who dares deserves an éclair without cream or icing, or perhaps a finger wag worthy of another big-hearted big man from overseas, the late Dikembe Mutombo.

“I’m officially cleared to return,” Wembanyama told the French newspaper L’Equipe. “It just happened — I got the green light from the Spurs’ medical staff. … I’ll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again."

If that sounds happy-go-lucky, that’s because it is. While Wembanyama, still only 21, surely realizes his magnitude on the NBA scene — and the expectations afoot for a Spurs club ready to climb with him at the forefront — he has kept busy without making waves.

You’ll let me know if I’m the only one flipping over from drab Summer League games to nearly-as-predictable “Christmas in July” offerings on Hallmark Channel. If not, take my word for it: Wemby’s recent résumé reads like that of one of the too-good-to-be-true male love interests in one of those campy flicks.

Of course, you see a giant in such roles far less often than someone who’s gentle.

Recent reports tied Wembanyama to kung fu training with monks at a Shaolin temple in China, ahead of a vacation to Japan that included playing soccer. On Sunday, he’s set to host a chess tournament in his hometown of Le Chesnay, France, with backing from two seemingly polar entities: Wembanyama’s sponsor, Nike, and the local chess club C’ercle d’Echecs Le Roi Soleil, which translates to “Sun King Chess Circle.” The tournament will be held in a gym adjacent to the basketball courts Wembanyama helped build in Le Chesnay.

“I like chess,” Wembanyama recently told chess.com, “because it challenges the brain big time.”

Clearly, Wembanyama is not averse to putting his body through the paces. An ESPN report in May indicated the initial timeline for his return was closer to the beginning of training camp in September before he would be fully ready for the regular season.

Whether operating overseas or elsewhere, Wembanyama has worked to accelerate that pace.

He’ll aim to pick up where he left off in the first part of last season, before a developing deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder required season-ending surgery.

Wembanyama earned his first All-Star bid on the heels of a unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year selection in 2023-24, averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and an NBA-best 3.8 blocks in his second season. The injury limited him to 46 games after he appeared in 71 as a rookie, having been drafted No. 1 overall in 2023.

Spurs fans hope “a bit of basketball” lasts into May — and one day, June. Wembanyama’s healthy personality and zest for life were well-documented before he entered the NBA. Now he’s eager to keep building the career résumé to match.