San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wimpanyama spent 10 days this summer at the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China.
While the 7-foot-3 center was diligent during much of his time with the monks, during an appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York, Wimpanyama revealed that he couldn’t change his eating habits.
Wimpanyama’s meals at the vegetarian temple consisted mostly of zucchini and rice noodles, which was simply not enough for a professional athlete who needs to stay in shape. So Wimpanyama would occasionally sneak out for meat.
Wimpanyama’s secret dining plan worked. During a live appearance on Kevin Hart’s podcast, “Frosty as Ice,” he told Hart that he gained 245 pounds after his visit.
“It was a great experience,” Wimpanyama told The Athletic. “My purpose in going there was to get my body to try some movements it wasn’t used to and allow me to work with range of motion and strength. It was probably completely different from the way I was used to training.”
After returning to the United States, Wimbania shaved his head and developed a new appreciation for kung fu, which he practices every day in a temple.
Shortly before Wimbania left for China, legendary San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich announced he was stepping down. He remains the team’s president of basketball operations.
But Fanatics Day provided Wimbania’s first opportunity to speak publicly about Popovich’s decision.
“First, it’s the guy,” Wimbania said. “We were very close. He had a great relationship with his teammates. It’s always sad and shocking when something like this happens. The most incredible thing about him is that he keeps giving people hope in his own way.”
“He’s always been an inspiration to us. Because he works harder than most athletes in the world.”
