Wembanyama Works Out With Hakeem Olajuwon Once Again

SAN ANTONIO -- It seems that once again, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is in the gym with Rockets legend Hakeem Olajuwon.

22-year-old center Kel'el Ware just went from Miami to Milwaukee in the Giannis trade, and a recent post by his agent shows he's working with some greats this summer. The tweet from CAA's Richard Felder shows himself in a gym with his client, Wemby, and Dream.

"A Day At The Office," reads the caption of the two-second video of one normal man and three cryptids posing for a photo. Extra points for the lack of search engine optimization and Dejounte Murray-style capitalization. Hakeem looks like he got a decent sweat in, and Wemby is barefoot next to him.

A Day At The Office pic.twitter.com/sid4DPueKk
— Richard Felder (@felder_richard) July 24, 2026

It's already been a big summer for Wemby. He signed a huge contract extension, and left money on the table to help the team build and maintain a roster that can compete. He made the cover of 2K27, and it seems he insisted his teammates were on it too. He went to the World Cup, and to Fanatics Fest, and recently worked out with his new teammate Tobias Harris at De'Aaron Fox's place.

Wembanyama has sought many mentors in his quest for greatness, from the legends inside the Spurs' practice facility to scientists at NASA and monks in the Shaolin temple. Last summer's side quests included time with some of the greatest bigs ever in Kevin Garnett and Olajuwon, whom he met at the NCAA Championship earlier that year.

"Right away he was very friendly and he told me right away that he wanted to share what he had what he knew," Wembanyama said in an interview with ESPN. "All the footwork stuff, things that look easy but aren't, but he makes them easier. But more than that, it was the advice that comes with experience. Nothing can replace experience."

Wembanyama reveres the big man, who clearly respects him. Early in their relationship Hakeem gave Wemby words of encouragement that the kid took to heart. In that same ESPN interview, he shared the vote of confidence that Hakeem shared with him.

"You don't need to wait to win," Wembanyama relayed. "You can do it right away. If you're that good you're gonna make your team win regardless."

Wemby on meeting Hakeem:

"We met at the finals of NCAA. Right away he was very friendly and he told me right away that he wanted to share what he had what he knew. All the footwork stuff things that look easy but aren't but he makes them easier" https://t.co/YbyaXKS17s pic.twitter.com/VCDwA5Cnwe
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 16, 2026

By the end of the next season, Wembanyama had led his team to the NBA Finals. After becoming the first ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year, he had this to say.

"It means everything," he said. "I'm smiling because I was just reminding myself of the time I was at Hakeem's... I was looking at a plaque that said 'All-Time Blocks Leader,' right? And he just looked at me and said, 'You're gonna beat that one day.' So, you know, one step at a time."

It wasn't the only time during the playoff run that Wembanyama spoke about his relationship with Olajuwon. In Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals Wemby keyed a gritty Spurs victory with 39 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks, and he was informed afterward that the only other guys to ever do that in a playoff game were Shaq, Kareem, and Hakeem.

"It's good to be along with the big fellas," he said with a smile. "I had to resort to some things that Hakeem taught me in the fourth quarter, especially that spin fadeaway over Rudy [Gobert]."

Olajuwon won back-to-back titles and built an unimpeachable career with his rim protection and iconic Dream Shake. As Wembanyama grows his game, it couldn't hurt to keep adding to his post game and learning from a master.

On one hand it seems a little odd that greatest player in the history of the Rockets is helping to train the prodigy who celebrated the fact that Houston missed out on him in the draft lottery and went to the team's biggest rival. Imagine if the Red Sox got the greatest shortstop prospect ever and Derek Jeter invited him over for a workout. Imagine if Darth Vader made repeated efforts to teach Luke Skywalker how to wield a lightsaber.

On the other hand, game recognizes game and greatness recognizes greatness. The bond between Wembanyama and Olajuwon transcends the rivalry between the Spurs and Rockets, which is pretty neat (for the Spurs at least).

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