San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama trained with Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon in September, preparing for the 2025–26 NBA season.
The 20-year-old met Olajuwon earlier this year at the NCAA men’s national championship game in San Antonio, where he expressed interest in learning the secrets behind the legendary moves.
“He said he would love to work out with me,” Olajuwon told ESPN. “I said, ‘You’ve got everything already.’ He said, ‘No, no, no, I’ve watched you play, and I’d like to know now just the secrets behind all the moves.’”
Olajuwon’s guidance focused on creating efficiency on the court, emphasizing how to leverage opportunities inside and outside the paint without wasting energy.
“Our concept was not for ‘big men,’” Olajuwon said. “Our concept was ‘big guards,’ where you can play 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 with the freedom to create outside, inside, crossover and pull up.”
During four 2½-hour workouts, Wembanyama worked on his own variation of Olajuwon’s “Dream Shake” and other spin moves, refining his versatility for the upcoming season.
The Spurs center has already made NBA history last season, recording multiple five-by-five games, including a 25-point, nine-rebound, seven-assist, five-steal, and five-block performance on 31 October 2024.
He posted a career-high 50 points on 13 November 2024, hitting eight three-pointers, becoming the first player to record 20+ three-pointers and 13+ blocks in a three-game span.
On 21 December 2024, Wembanyama became the youngest player to post 30 points and 10 blocks in a game, breaking Dwight Howard’s previous mark by nearly two years. He also set a franchise record with a block in 62 consecutive games.
Before being shut down in February 2025 due to deep vein thrombosis, Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and led the NBA with 3.8 blocks per game.
