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Victor Wembanyama more than lived up to the impressive amount of hype surrounding him during his first year in the NBA, and it appears he used the offseason to address a fairly notable issue by packing on some pounds.
It’s pretty easy to understand why Victor Wembanyama was slapped with the “generational talent” label before he headed to the NBA, as the 7’3″ phenom routinely did things someone his size seemingly has no business pulling off while making a name for himself in his native France.
The San Antonio Spurs didn’t have to think too hard about who they were going to select with the first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and the man known as “Wemby” didn’t waste any time proving they’d made the right decision during an inaugural campaign where he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks per game en route to winning Rookie of the Year honors.
The 20-year-old obviously has a very bright future ahead of him, and while he’s already shown he’s an incredibly well-rounded player, there are some areas he would be wise to address.
“Undersized” is one of the last words I’d use to describe Wembanyama, but the fact that he was officially listed at 210 lbs. by the NBA during his first season was a slight cause for concern in a league filled with guys who are able to use their weight to their advantage to make up for the edge he has in the height category.
On Monday, the Spurs shared the roster of guys who will be assembling for training camp ahead of the 2024-25 season, and it appears Wembanyama has bulked up a bit when you consider he’s now listed at 235 lbs.—a 25-pound increase from last year.
The 2024-25 San Antonio Spurs training camp roster #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/xvWcEe8uhM
— Ty Jäger (@TheTyJager) September 30, 2024
It is worth noting there is a discrepancy between the numbers kept by the NBA and the Spurs when it comes to Wemby’s weight.
San Antonio had him at 230 pounds ahead of training camp last season (a number that was also reflected in the franchise’s game notes), but as things currently stand, the league’s official website lists him at 210 lbs (although it does seem like there’s a chance that number was pre-draft artifact).
With that said, he told a French outlet he’d added around 10 pounds to his frame during an interview during the Olympics.
As a result, we may not be treated to a noticeable physical transformation when pictures start coming out of camp, but it seems safe to assume this is an area Wemby is focusing on.