Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are just two months removed from losing in five games against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. It was a tough defeat for the crew, as they looked in control for the majority of the series before ultimately letting the game slip away in the final stretches.
Now, Wembanyama is leading the team in the offseason camp in his home country France. According to a report by The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, Wembanyama hosted seven Spurs teammates in France for private offseason workouts ahead of the 2026-2027 NBA campaign.
Who Joined Wembanyama In France?
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and De’aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs react during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The players included De’Aaron Fox, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle, Carter Bryant, Harrison Barnes, Jordan McLaughlin and free-agent signing Tobias Harris. Former Spurs bench player and now-free-agent Kelly Olynyk is also part of the camp, despite not having an active contract with the Spurs.
They traveled to train at the Palais des Sports Maurice Thorez in Nanterre, which serves as the home venue for Nanterre 92, the professional French League basketball club where Wembanyama launched his basketball career.
Wembanyama is also a co-owner of the French squad.
The workouts are reportedly designed to help the young roster realign and strategize a comeback after coming up short in the championship series against the Knicks. This also gave players a massive head start before formal pre-training camp runs typically begin in mid-September.
The camp came after a busy summer for Wembanyama. Earlier in the offseason, he spent time in Texas training in teammate De’Aaron Fox’s home gym and worked extensively with Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon to refine his post game and shot-creation abilities, according to The Athletic.
He also signed a five-year, $252 million rookie-scale extension. He chose a 25% max slot instead of a potential 30% supermax, giving the team roughly $50 million in cap flexibility to build a contender.
Spurs CEO Lauds Team For Organizing A Mini Camp in France Led By Wembanyama
GettySan Antonio Spurs basketball player Victor Wembanyama delivers a speech as he takes part in the inauguration of a newly refurbished basketball court at the Complexe Sportif Paul Vaillant-Couturier in Nanterre, a northwestern suburb of Paris, on July 30, 2026. (Photo by Guillaume BAPTISTE / AFP via Getty Images)
Spurs CEO R.C. Buford has been commending the team for initiating a training abroad with Wembanyama leading the way.
“They want to grow,” Buford said on the French YouTube show #TRASHTALK, via ESPN. “Just seeing Victor calling his team and saying, ‘Hey, come over here and spend a week with me’ (shows leadership).”
“The thing that you see about great leaders is very seldom do they resemble or match somebody else,” Buford said.
“He’s not trying to be anybody but himself. He sets a great example in his approach, in the way he takes care of his body, the way he connects with his family and with his teammates. There are not many times where 10 guys from a team are flying halfway around the world to go work out together. That’s done because of the respect, admiration and joy that Victor brings.”
Wembanyama has already been seen as the team’s leader. With the way they exited the playoffs last season, the Spurs are expected to bounce back bigtime with their 7-foot-4 giant paving the way.
Now, he is also banking on his teammates to do their jobs for next season as another uphill climb in the Western Conference awaits.
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