Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs star, visits China's Shaolin Temple
NBA star Victor Wembanyama was spotted at the Shaolin Temple in China on Tuesday. The French star had ended his NBA season earlier due to deep vein thrombosis, a rare medical condition where a blood clot was found in his right shoulder.
In the now-viral image, the San Antonio Spurs player is seen with a shaved head at a temple in the Henan province, as per China Daily.
The image was shared on X (formerly Twitter) with the text, 'Spurs Fam，One lucky fan.
NBA, on its official Weibo page, said that Wembanyama was on a 10-day retreat in the temple, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, a Shaolin Temple official said that they 'are not aware of' the 21-year-old star player's visit.
The temple, which is a UNESCO heritage site, is the 'birthplace of traditional Chinese Kung fu and Zen Buddhism'.
A state-owned media outlet based in Henan confirmed that Wembanyama paid a visit to the Royal Temple, adding that 'the relevant matters are not convenient to be disclosed to the public'.
Wembanyama's itinerary also included the Great Wall of China and Beijing's Temple of Heaven Great Wall.
In a selfie video shared on Instagram by the San Antonio Spurs, the player is seen talking about his fun experience at the Great Wall of China.
A post shared by San Antonio Spurs (@spurs)
As per China Daily, temple sources have clarified that foreign citizens cannot formally be ordained at the Shaolin temple due to strict religious procedures.
The 21-year-old basketball sensation has been out of action since February due to a deep vein thrombosis diagnosis. Several weeks later, the Spurs were eliminated from the NBA.
The 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year was averaging 24.3 points, 3.8 blocks, 11 rebounds and 3.7 assists before he was benched.
As per reports, the new season could see Wembanyama team up with Kevin Durant. The 36-year-old will be an unrestricted free transfer at the end of the 2025/26 season. Reports indicate that there is mutual interest between the Phoenix Suns forward and the Spurs regarding a transfer to the team.
He is a Frenchman who is part of the National Basketball Association (NBA) team, the San Antonio Spurs.
Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with a rare blood clot on his right shoulder.
The NBA star is presently on a visit to China.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Who is Bennedict Mathurin? College stats, contract and other details
Bennedict Mathurin, the Indiana Pacers guard, just put up a career-defining performance in Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals, scoring 27 points off the bench in a 116-107 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. But for those just now discovering the rising Canadian star, let's take a closer look at who he is, where he came from, and why the basketball world should keep watching. ALSO READ| Who is Megan McConnell? TJ McConnell's sister and rising WNBA star Born and raised in Montreal, Mathurin didn't take the typical route to NBA stardom. He was the first Canadian-born player to commit to the NBA Academy Latin America in Mexico City. From there, he made his way to college basketball at the University of Arizona. Now, at Arizona, during his sophomore season (2021–22), Mathurin averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. His flickable drives and smooth shooting helped him earn Pac-12 Player of the Year honours and All-American recognition. He led the Wildcats to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, though the run ended earlier than expected. In the 2022 NBA Draft, the Indiana Pacers selected Mathurin sixth overall. Shortly afterwards, he signed a rookie-scale contract, a four-year deal worth over $29 million, with team options for years three and four. On Wednesday night, with a hunger to prove, in the Game 3, with the Finals tied at 1-1, Mathurin came off the bench and erupted for a game-high 27 points. 'Mathurin set the new mark for most points off the bench by a Canadian in an NBA Finals game,' Sportsnet Stats lauded on a X post. The previous record? 24 points by Kelly Olynyk in 2020. Mathurin's 9-of-12 shooting from the field—including 2-of-3 from deep—and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line made for a masterclass in scoring efficiency. ALSO READ| Caitlin Clark, Reggie Miller, Oscar Robertson among those in crowd for Game 3 of NBA Finals After a quiet 5-point showing in Game 1, Mathurin dropped 14 in Game 2 before exploding in Game 3. He's picking up steam at the right time, especially after missing last year's playoff run due to injury. The Pacers' bench outscored the Thunder's 49-18, and Mathurin's fingerprints were all over that margin.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Indiana Pacers tighten grip on NBA Finals with another commanding win in Game 3
Indiana Pacers. Photo via Getty Images A huge moment for the fans of Indiana Pacers as the team racks up another win in NBA Finals Game 3 , bringing the stat to a 2-1 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team seem to have utilised the home-court advantage to their favor, redeeming for the Game 2 loss in Oklahoma. Small forward Bennedict Mathurin steals the limelight with his impressive performance, becoming the highest scorer of the match. Bennedict Mathurin surpasses NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to become the highest scorer of Game 3 The Indiana Pacers have shut down the analysts through their performance in the recent final games. While Game 1 saw a stunning comeback in the form of a 2-point dunk by the Pacers' point guard Tyrese Haliburton, Game 3 saw the team overcome the 5-point gap, which was left towards the end of the third quarter, through a stunning performance put up by the small forward Bennedict Mathurin. Throughout the match, it was a neck-to-neck battle between the Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Known for his larger-than-life performances, even star player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander couldn't put up the required performance in order to push the Thunder to the desired win. The first quarter saw the Thunder taking the lead by 8 points, subsequently falling behind the Pacers by 4 points in the second quarter. While the gap was filled in the third quarter with a 5-point lead by the Thunder, the Pacers dominated the game in the end with a lead of 9 points. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's A List Of Cheapest Steel Suppliers (See List) Steel Suppliers | search ads Search Now Undo It was a great day for the Pacers' forward Mathurin, who was seen breaking personal records and setting new ones. The player ended the match with an individual score of 27 points with 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. Tyrese Haliburton became the second-highest scorer of the team with 22 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists. NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could not do much, even though he remains the second-highest scorer of the team with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Jalen Williams became the second-highest scorer of the match with 26 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Also read: 'He'll be the greatest player in the history'- NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith makes a bold claim about OKC Thunder's star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ahead of Game 3 After the humongous Game 3 win, the NBA Finals stats now stands at 2-1, with the Indiana Pacers leading the series. Game 4 will be held on June 13, 2025. The Pacers are just two wins away from creating history.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Forward Bennedict Mathurin drops a playoff career-high lifting Indiana Pacers in Game 3 of NBA Finals
Bennedict Mathurin. Photo by Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images The Indiana Pacers seem to be unstoppable with each one of the players racking up scores for the team in Game 3. While the team lagged towards the end of the third quarter by a 5-point difference, Pacers' small forward Bennedict Mathurin pushed the team's aggregate score while penning down a new playoff career high in the fourth quarter of Game 3 . Bennedict Mathurin becomes the first bench player since Jason Terry in 2011 to score 25+ points in the Finals 22-year-old Bennedict Mathurin has made his mark within the NBA with an impressive performance amid the legends in the 2024-2025 season. The player was selected with the sixth overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in the 2022 NBA draft. The current stats of the player in this season stand at an average of 16.1 points with 5.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists. In today's Game 3, the player showcased another impressive performance, racking up the highest score, while this was still being written, surpassing even the NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Mathurin's play-off career high now stands at 27 points, a new record for the young player of the team. Along with this new personal record, Mathurin becomes the first bench player to score 25+ PTS in the Finals since Jason Terry in 2011. This is also the third highest in NBA Finals history to have been scored off the bench. Mathurin, owing to his skills and scores on the court, made it to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2023, and he finished fourth in voting for the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2023. Fans of the team and the player are showering the athlete with praises for his performance and leading the team on his back in the fourth quarter of Game 3. One of the users wrote, 'Bennedict Mathurin putting the Pacers on his back' Another user wrote while appreciating the timeliness of the performance put up by the player, 'Mathurin been hoopin fr! He picking the perfect time to turn up' One of the users appreciated both Mathurin and Tyrese Haliburton for their dedicated showcase of skills in the game, 'Pacers needed someone else to step up and it was Mathurin this game. Hali just hit another big 3 too!' Also read: Tyrese Haliburton's injury report for NBA Finals Game 3 Indiana Pacers vs OKC Thunder (June 11, 2025) While anything can happen in the last moment, as it was seen in Game 1, which ended in a surprising win by the last minute dunk for Indiana Pacers, the team actually led the score card to rack up a comfortable win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
