LOOK: Spurs Rookie Victor Wembanyama Shocks Internet With Viral Stretching Video
If San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama wasn't making enough headlines already, he just gave the entire basketball world even more reason to talk about him.
A video posted to the 19-year-old's Instagram Sunday saw him demonstrating what appeared to be his post-workout stretch routine. The caption was simple, reading "Summer is almost over," but it wasn't the caption that made waves on social media.
It was the fact that the 7-4 power forward was doing the splits, seemingly with ease.
The French phenom — as Wembanyama has been donned — has shown time and time again why he stands apart from the rest of the 2023 rookie class, but his recent display of flexibility might take the cake.
Since leaving Metropolitans 92 following its LNB Pro-A Finals defeat, Wembanyama has done a plethora of media interviews on top of sightseeing in the U.S., but what he hasn't done is much basketball — at least to this point.
After Wembanyama played his second of two Summer League games in July, he made that clear, stating that the sport had been included in "less than 50 percent" of his total schedule. Obviously, that's changed with preseason now less than a month away, and for the better for the rookie. Though spending time off the court isn't all distracting.
Since coming to San Antonio, Wembanyama has immersed himself in the city's culture, even taking a horse-drawn carriage from his Riverwalk press conference to his AT&T Center — now named after Frost Bank — one. He's been coined a "Renaissance man," which also furthers his strong fit with the Spurs.
On the court, Wembanyama's fit is beginning to become more clear as well. In a recent announcement, The Athletic's Shams Charania spoke on San Antonio's expected decision regarding Wembanyama's official position, reporting that he would be playing as a power forward as opposed to a center.
The news isn't a surprise. Wembanyama might be 7-4, but he's far from a traditional center ... though again, what about him to his point has been traditional?
Either way, the Spurs rookie is continuing to stay relevant in the NBA world. His rookie year will be closely watched by all parties, but that also isn't a bad thing.
Wembanyama has the potential to change San Antonio basketball, and more specificially, San Antonio as a whole. He's already begun to do so, but his latest social media post might have just done that again.
And who knows? Maybe yoga will begin to see an uptick in popularity ... just maybe.
