From NBA All-Star to Shaolin monk: Victor Wembanyama goes on a China retreat

NBA star Victor Wembanyama is visiting China, where he appears to have taken a spiritual detour at Shaolin Temple.

HONG KONG — On the basketball court, NBA star Victor Wembanyama plays forward-center, but in China it seems he has temporarily taken up the position of Shaolin monk.

The towering 7-foot-3 player from France has been touring around China and appears to have taken a spiritual detour at Shaolin Temple, according to a picture widely shared on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.

With a shaved head and wearing a gray robe, Wembanyama can be seen sitting in front of statues of Buddha in a picture posted Monday by the NBA’s official Weibo page, which said the player had “reportedly” begun a 10-day retreat at the temple in central Henan province.

“Deepening his spiritual journey!” the post read.

Wembanyama is in “closed-door martial arts training,” an employee at the Songshan Shaolin Scenic Area, which includes the temple, told NBC News on Wednesday.