The last thing on Victor Wembanyama’s mind is lifting weights, at least according to his agent.
Bouna Ndiaye, Wembanyama’s agent, told NBA reporter Marc J. Spears that he does not believe lifting weights would be beneficial to the 19-year-old and that adding weight to his frame would be a “big mistake.”
“People are wrong. We’re not focused at all on weights. I don’t want to put weight on his body. We’re going to fight to not put weight on his body,” Ndiaye said. “Weight on his body [is] a big mistake. We focus on strength, core.
“We were very pleased that he linked up [with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar] who played until [41] years old. That’s the path that we want to take. “
The center, who stands at 7 feet, 4 inches, spoke with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after an NBA Summer League game.
Ndiaye believes the Hall of Famer is a good person for Wembanyama to model his body goals after.
“I’m very glad they, they connected because uh, have a similar body type,” Ndiaye said about Abdul-Jabbar. “Kareem was not heavy. Victor is more mobile, gaudier and taller than Kareem. So, that difference in height is a challenge and is something that we are working on every day. Making him heavy? We don’t want to do that.”
At 7 foot 2, Abdul-Jabbar only played in fewer than 74 games in a season twice during his illustrious 20-year career, so Ndiaye is hoping Wembanyama can follow that blueprint for longevity as a big man.
Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, had an unexpectedly underwhelming performance in his first summer league game, often looking overmatched by the physicality and size of the defenders.
He did, however, scored 27 points in his second game.
But critics of the Frenchman believe that without putting on serious muscle, he will never be able to reach his tantalizing potential to become an all-time great like Abdul-Jabbar.
But if Ndiaye has any say in the matter, Wembanyama won’t be getting too familiar with the weight room any time soon.
