Victor Wembanyama Leaves Coaches, Teammates in Awe at Training Camp

Through one week of training camp, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has left his teammates and coaches nothing short of impressed.

Sep 29, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward-center Victor Wembanyama (1) poses for photos during Media Day at Victory Capital Performance Center in San Antonio. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

SAN ANTONIO — There's never quite been anyone like Victor Wembanyama.

The San Antonio Spurs star, since arriving to the NBA in 2023, has taken the league by storm. Standing 7-foot-4, it's easy to see why — though his teammates still sometimes find themselves in awe of his basketball prowess.

"He’s been looking great," Stephon Castle said. "Healthy and in shape. He’s been working his tail off all summer to get to this point.”

Nov 26, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts along with guard Stephon Castle (5) after a three point basket against the Utah Jazz during the first half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

READ MORE: How Injury Helped Wembanyama Shape Perspective

A bout of deep vein thrombosis ended Wembanyama's sophomore season in February. Since then, the Frenchman took a different perspective on life; a condition that, in De'Aaron Fox's words, "could kill (him)" instead reminded him of his own mortality.

It only took a few months for any worries to dissipate.

"Medically, there’s no concern," Wembanyama said. "And my own personal worries: I’m way past that. It’s been months since I’ve felt confident in both my movement and the way my body works.”

What would you do seeing this with the ball in your hands?

📸: @Spurs | #PorVida pic.twitter.com/2PPeIajvKV

— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) October 3, 2025

Wembanyama Impresses at Camp

Through one week of training camp, Wembanyama has been back to full go.

"He's healthy," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "It's great to see him back on the court. We've all had a long offseason ... (but) he's had a longer one."

Victor Wembanyama working on his 3-shot: pic.twitter.com/Eqx0gCeCLE

— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) October 3, 2025

READ MORE: Spurs' Contract Decision on Jeremy Sochan Looms

Beyond his defensive capabilities, Wembanyama has leaned equally on his offense, working on pieces of his game that haven't yet developed. The center wants to know the game better, become more efficient.

It's spread to the rest of the roster.

“Whenever your better players compete on both ends of the court, it makes everybody else bring up their level," Fox said, "and obviously, having Vic, who’s different defensively than we’ve ever seen, that gives you confidence to be more aggressive as a defender."

Leading. Growing. Evolving. 📈 pic.twitter.com/WbIVDSvxC4

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 3, 2025

From a physical standpoint, Wembanyama has grown. Mitch Johnson couldn't confirm just how much, but San Antonio is now listing him at 7-foot-4 on its team roster. Wembanyama didn't speak about height, but he did gain muscle.

“I added a lot of pure mass," he said at Media Day. "My training this summer, I mean, it was brutal. The first part was coming back and rehabbing and getting my abilities back. After that, it was so much developing. I can assure you nobody has trained like I did this summer."

Victor Wembanyama breaks down practice for the final day of Week 1. #PorVida pic.twitter.com/3My4czCMsR

— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) October 3, 2025

A week-long training session with Chinese monks at a Shaolin temple and workouts with Kevin Garnett are difficult to match. And Wembanyama has carried over what he learned to the court.

His teammates have seen him play before, but even they sense a distinct difference in his preparation between each year of his waxing career.

READ MORE: Kornet Seeking 'Optimal Way' to Play in San Antonio

“You see how hard he works and how motivated he is," Jeremy Sochan said. "It’s super exciting ... I think he’s ready. You’re going to see a lot that (will) shock you."

“It’s great to have Vic back," Castle added. "It’s always good to have him on the court on both sides."

If Johnson had his druthers, the rest of the team would enter this season with a similar angst to Wembanyama. Even without a life-changing, season-ending injury.

“We want this team to be in the reflection of Victor," the coach said. "He’s our best player. He’s our guy. We’re going to continue to build with him, around him and hopefully push him to continue to be better like he wants to be.”