Victor Wembanyama’s path to resilience – from a life-altering injury to a summer of self-discovery

Amid the rigours of the National Basketball Association (NBA), where young stars catch ablaze and sometimes burn out, Victor Wembanyama’s journey from a grave injury to a summer of soulful reinvention is a testament to resilience unlike any other.

At just 21 years old, the San Antonio Spurs’ towering centre faced a health crisis that could have derailed his meteoric rise. 

Diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis

– a blood clot in his right shoulder – that abruptly halted his second NBA season in February, Wembanyama was thrust into a world of uncertainty.

This was not a routine sprain or fatigue-related setback; it was a condition that posed risks to both his career and his life, forcing the French phenomenon to confront the injury in ways few athletes his age ever do.

The issue came after a promising start to the 2024-25 campaign, in which Wembanyama had already begun dispelling doubts about his 2.24m-frame’s ability to withstand the physical demands of the NBA.

Over his first two years, he had proven his durability, earning Rookie of the Year honours in his debut season and establishing himself as a generational talent with his blend of agility and skill. But the blood clot diagnosis shattered that momentum.

Spring became a blur of hospital visits, consultations with specialists, and ultimately a lot of dread.

“Spending so much time in hospitals, around doctors and hearing more bad news that I wish I hadn’t heard, of course, it is traumatic,” Wembanyama reflected to ESPN.

The experience left him sidelined, frustrated and acutely aware of life’s fragility – a stark reminder that even the most extraordinary bodies have limits.

What followed was not a hasty return to the gym or a passive recovery at home. Instead, Wembanyama chose a radical route – a summer dedicated to holistic transformation, deliberately steering clear of basketball’s familiar rhythms. 

Cleared to travel by medical professionals and his team, he set off on a global journey to rebuild not just his physique, but his entire sense of self.

From ancient martial arts monasteries to cosmic explorations, it was a deliberate immersion in pursuits that mainly challenged his mind and spirit.

Wembanyama’s off-season thus became a quest for balance, gratitude and perspective – elements he believed were essential to emerging stronger.

Central to his summer was a 10-day spiritual retreat at a Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China, a site synonymous with discipline and enlightenment where he trained with monks.

Rising at 4.30am each day, he adopted a spartan routine – simple vegetarian meals of zucchini and rice noodles, hours of meditation and rigorous sessions of Shaolin gongfu. He even shaved his head as part of the immersion, a symbolic shedding of his former self. 

Far from the common techniques of injury recovery, this was an act where movements emphasised fluidity, breath control and inner calm – skills that translated to enhanced body awareness and stress resilience.

The temple’s influence extended beyond the physical. For Wembanyama, it was a portal to a different culture that celebrated life’s subtleties, fostering a deeper appreciation for human connection.

“It was an incredible experience. Probably as far (off) a physical activity as I’m used to doing. It really paid off in terms of training and as a life experience as a curious person,” he told ESPN.

The trauma of his injury had amplified a sense of urgency as well, when it comes to life outside the court.

“There’s also a big feeling that life isn’t forever and there are some experiences we’re going to miss (out) on. It’s inevitable. But I’m going to miss (out) on the least that I can. I want to experience the most and this is something that I wanted to do,” he said in a separate interview with The Athletic.

By embracing the temple’s ethos, Wembanyama emerged with tools to manage fear and focus. The gongfu drills improved his mobility and core stability, crucial for a player whose height invites physical punishment.

Mentally, the meditation honed his ability to stay present, a skill useful for decision-making during games.

“For someone of his age, he is so intentional on the variety of ways that he tries to improve as a player and a person. It’s really something I’ve never witnessed or experienced in my time,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson told The Athletic.

Wembanyama’s explorations did not stop at Chinese traditions. He jetted to Japan and Costa Rica for bouts of football, a sport that contrasts sharply with basketball’s verticality. 

In Tokyo, he unleashed a thunderous free kick that looped into the net, while in Costa Rica, an ambitious bicycle-kick attempt – captured on video and shared widely online – ended in a comedic tumble but sparked joy among fans. 

Those football sessions reignited his playful athleticism, with Spurs teammate De’Aaron Fox noting how such travels reveal character.

“Him just looking at life differently, being able to travel and kind of come out with a different view on not only the sport, but on life, that’s just a testament to the person that Victor is,” he said on ESPN.

Intellectual stimulation came through chess, a passion Wembanyama channelled into organising a unique tournament at his hometown in Le Chesnay, France.

But perhaps the most awe-inspiring detour was his visit to Nasa’s Johnson Space Centre in Houston, where he toured facilities and also met Peggy Whitson, the American astronaut with a record 695 days in orbit – the most for any woman globally. 

“Just like a kid, seeing the machines and the aircraft, everything that’s a replica of what’s actually in space or going to space, that was incredible,” he told The Athletic.

The encounter tapped into his fascination with the cosmos, expanding his horizons beyond the basketball courts on earth. His injury felt smaller, his ambitions larger. 

These off-court odysseys profoundly reshaped Wembanyama. Collectively, they addressed the injury’s emotional toll, transforming frustration into fuel.

As he put it: “All the stuff I’ve done in the summer... (It) makes you understand lessons that nothing else could. 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.

“I’m so much more under control and my conditioning has gotten so much better. I can assure you, nobody has trained like I did this summer. Now, I need to play basketball.”

On Oct 22, he scored 40 points in a sensational NBA return, leading the Spurs to a 125-92 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. It was a new franchise record for most points in a season opener.

“All dreams are allowed now,” he told ESPN. “I’m just glad to be back.”

Wembanyama’s journey illuminates a truth – that greatness is not forged in gyms alone, but in the quiet revolutions of the soul.

He is not just healed; he has evolved, a philosopher ready to redefine the possible.