Wembanyama trains with French rugby club Provence — SkimNews
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- Victor Wembanyama trained with French second-tier rugby side Provence, participating in tackle drills and pre-season drills and huddling with the squad before a pre-season friendly in August, with footage showing the 7ft 4in forward running passing drills and a line-out.
- Wembanyama, 22, said he was 'never welcomed anywhere like this' and thanked the club for treating him as part of the team; San Antonio Spurs teammate Harrison Barnes accompanied him on the trip.
- Wembanyama combined the rugby trip with hosting his Hoop Gambit event — combining chess and basketball — in his hometown of Le Chesnay, continuing a pattern of unconventional off-season preparation that included two weeks with Shaolin monks in China in 2025.
- The San Antonio Spurs lost the NBA Championship 4-1 to the New York Knicks in June, providing the backdrop for Wembanyama's summer training push.
- Provence, whose alumni include Wales internationals George North and Tomas Francis, have opened their league campaign 5-0 in pursuit of promotion to the Top 14; former England international Teimana Harrison, who won five caps in 2016, now features for the side.
Why it matters: Wembanyama is mining other sports and disciplines — rugby contact work, monastic mental training — for marginal gains after the Spurs' 4-1 Finals loss to the Knicks, doubling down on the unconventional preparation that has defined his career. For second-tier **Provence**, a 5-0 league start plus a global NBA visitor raises the club's profile as it chases promotion to the Top 14.
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