Victor Wembanyama is known worldwide as an extraordinary young NBA star, but many fans have also wondered about his personal faith. His recent training stint at a Buddhist Shaolin monastery in China made headlines, as he said he was “initiated … to the life of a warrior monk, which combines Buddhism and intensive kung fu practice”. However, Wembanyama has not publicly declared any formal religious affiliation.
Quick Profile: Victor Wembanyama
| Full Name | Victor Nonga Wembanyama-de Fautereau-Vassel |
| Date of Birth | 4 January 2004 |
| Nationality | French |
| Profession | Basketball player |
| Religion | Buddhism (visited Shaolin Temple) |
What religion is Victor Wembanyama?
Victor Wembanyama has not publicly declared a specific religion. He rarely speaks about faith in interviews, so his personal beliefs remain private. However, in summer 2025 he made headlines by spending ten days at a Buddhist Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China. This was described as a spiritual Kung Fu retreat where he studied with Shaolin monks. Wembanyama himself said of the experience: “We were initiated there to the life of a warrior monk, which combines Buddhism and intensive kung fu practice”. He also shaved his head and practiced martial arts routines each day, later describing the retreat as a “great experience” that pushed his body and mind.
This trip suggests that Wembanyama was open to Buddhist training and philosophy during that period. News reports called it a “spiritual retreat”. Nevertheless, there is no evidence he has formally converted to Buddhism or any other religion. His faith remains unknown to the public.
Early Life
Victor Wembanyama was born on 4 January 2004 in Le Chesnay, a suburb of Paris. His father, Félix Wembanyama, is Congolese-born and was a track-and-field athlete, while his mother, Élodie de Fautereau, is a former French basketball player and coach. Victor has two siblings, an older sister named Eve and a younger brother, Oscar, and all three were encouraged by their parents to play sports.
Standing very tall even as a child, Victor played soccer as a goalkeeper and practiced judo before focusing on basketball. He learned the game from his mother’s coaching and joined the youth team of Nanterre 92 at age 10. Victor’s height drew attention early on, a youth coach once mistook the 8-year-old Victor for a coach rather than a player because he was already 1.80 m tall.
Career Highlights
Wembanyama’s basketball career has been exceptional from a young age. He played professionally in France beginning in 2019. At just 15, he made his debut with Nanterre 92’s senior team, gaining valuable experience while competing mainly in youth leagues. In 2021 he signed with ASVEL, one of France’s top clubs, and helped the team win the French Pro A championship that season.
In 2022–23, he joined Metropolitans 92 (another French club) and dominated the league. He became the youngest player ever to win the French Pro A Most Valuable Player award, and he led the league in scoring, rebounds, and blocks that season. He also earned the Best Defender award and was named to the All-Pro A First Team multiple times. Internationally, Wembanyama has also played for France’s national team, winning a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In June 2023, the San Antonio Spurs selected Wembanyama with the first overall pick in the NBA draft. This made him the first French player ever chosen #1 overall. In his very first NBA season (2023–24), he lived up to the hype. He led the league in blocks per game and was unanimously voted the NBA Rookie of the Year (2024). He also became the first rookie ever named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team. The next season, he was selected as an NBA All-Star (2025), further cementing his status as one of the league’s brightest young stars.
Personal Life
Off the court, Wembanyama is often described as a “renaissance man.” He has a variety of interests beyond basketball. For example, he is an avid reader and enjoys science-fiction and art. He has said that he reads nightly and is a fan of Star Wars and other sci-fi stories. He also enjoys drawing and writing, and he relates basketball strategy to art, calling each game a kind of “artwork”. He speaks fluent English, which he largely taught himself by watching American TV and video content and he is a creative thinker on and off the court.
Victor grew up in a close-knit sports family. Both of his parents remain actively involved in his life and career. When he was drafted into the NBA, his mother and father and siblings were present to celebrate on draft night. He attended lycée (high school) in France and earned his baccalauréat with honors. Wembanyama is also known to love games like chess; he has played in public parks with fans, and in 2025 he organized a charity event called the “Hoop Gambit” tournament, which combined chess and basketball competitions.
Endorsements and Earnings
As a top draft pick and media magnet, Wembanyama has secured major endorsement deals. His sponsors include sports and luxury brands. For example, he has partnerships with Nike, 2K Sports, Fanatics, Barcode (a drinks company), and Louis Vuitton. He signed with Nike early on and even helped design a custom Nike basketball shoe called the “Alien” (inspired by his nickname) based on the Nike GT Hustle 2. In mid-2023 he also became a brand ambassador for Barcode beverages.
Wembanyama’s NBA rookie contract is also very lucrative. As the 2023 first overall pick, he signed a four-year deal worth about $55 million. His guaranteed salary is about $24.9 million, with an average annual salary around $13.8 million. This contract (plus endorsements) makes him one of the richest 21-year-old athletes in the world. Estimates in 2025 put his net worth at roughly $10 million.
Trivia
- Wembanyama’s height and wingspan are extraordinary. He was measured at 7 feet 3½ inches tall (about 2.22 m) in 2023 and has an 8-foot (2.4 m) wingspan, making him one of the longest and tallest players in the NBA.
- He is the first French player ever to be taken with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
- He is nicknamed “Wemby” and often “The Alien” by fans and media. The nicknames reflect his otherworldly size and skills.
- He has eclectic hobbies, besides chess and reading (mentioned above), he enjoys visiting art galleries and often compares basketball plays to art. He warms up by juggling tennis balls before games.
- His jersey from his first NBA game was auctioned for a record $762,000 at Sotheby’s, the highest price ever paid for a rookie’s jersey.
- In July 2024 he visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center as part of a trip to learn about astronaut Peggy Whitson and space exploration.
- He holds the FIBA U19 record for most blocks per game in a single tournament.
- Besides French and English, he also understands Spanish (having trained briefly with FC Barcelona’s junior team) and some Chinese from his Shaolin trip.
- He has expressed interest in giving back to his community in Le Chesnay, including building sports facilities for local youth. (He helped design a local basketball court in 2023.
