Last offseason, Victor Wembanyama collected NBA legends like they were Pokémon cards.
In addition to working out with monks in the Chinese mountains, Wembanyama spent time in the gym with Jamal Crawford, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kevin Garnett.
That’s in addition to local workouts with Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and David Robinson.
And after losing the NBA Finals to the New York Knicks, the league is expected to get an even more motivated version of Wemby this summer and next season. Instead of chasing down other legends, Garnett wants to see Wembanyama in his gym again.
Victor Wembanyama’s Offseason Goal Revealed
You really couldn’t ask for a better third season. At just 22 years old, Wembanyama averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks, turning into one of the best two-way players the NBA has ever seen. He finished third in MVP voting, but after dragging the Spurs to the Finals, most voters would have likely re-cast their selections if given a chance.
And to think that he’s only getting started!
Old-school players like Shaquille O’Neal have often criticized Wembanyama for his outside shooting, and plenty of pundits would prefer to see him bang down low.
In order to take his post game even further, Garnett outlined an area of improvement.
“If I’m him, I’m working on core strength because I’m not the biggest guy, right?” said Garnett on his podcast with Paul Pierce. “When I sit down and post up, can you move me? I’m probably one of the strongest people you could ever run up on. I look how I look. But when it came down to setting up on that block and then pitching and getting it off there, when it came down there, yeah, I was the best at that. You know what I’m saying? So I would love to work with Big Fella, but this generation has a preference on how they want to work out. And I have to respect that. But yeah, I’m open to all.”
Garnett was one of the strongest players in the NBA during his playing days, but it wasn’t until his later years that he looked the part. Despite his imposing strength, he was one of the skinnier players in the NBA.
Add about seven inches in height to Garnett, and you have Wembanyama.
Over his three seasons, Wemby has started to attack back and has become harder to push off his spots, although some players like Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson, Ivica Zubac, and Deandre Ayton can push him around.
In an effort to become even more physically dominating, Wembanyama should take Garnett up on his offer.
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