“Pretty Hair to the Bald Head”: Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett Speak on Victor Wembanyama’s Shaolin Training

Following a ROTY campaign, Victor Wembanyama was showcasing his growth in a stellar sophomore season, until it was cut short. Right after the All-Star Weekend, Wemby was diagnosed with a DVT in his right shoulder and was shut down for the season. Each athlete deals with such conditions in their own manner. For Wemby, it was going to China and training with the Shaolin monks.

The 21-year-old superstar has a different approach to basketball and stardom than the majority of his contemporaries. He is extremely mature for his age and doesn’t show signs of fear toward trying something new. That is why fans weren’t shocked after Wemby visited a Shaolin temple in China.

Wembanyama will be staying at the temple for 10 days. As a means of becoming familiar with the way of living, he has accepted their culture. One of the forms of doing that is by shaving one’s head.

Victor Wembanyama is having himself quite an offseason so far.

Wemby recently visited a Shaolin Temple in China where he dined with monks and shaved his head

(via @SpursGDP) pic.twitter.com/EqS0NjzoSP

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Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett reacted to the Frenchman’s new appearance. Only one thing came to mind about what this change could mean.

“That’s serious. He’s coming with it,” Pierce said on Ticket & The Truth. “That means he locked in. You go from that pretty hair to the bald head, you’re like, I don’t care about all this.”

It isn’t an easy decision for someone to willingly cut ties with their hair, especially if there are no signs of balding. Garnett and Pierce wouldn’t expect this course of action from a player of Wembanyama’s age. Nonetheless, they understand that the Spurs star is not a typical 21-year-old.

“That’s a flag you’ve got to pay attention to,” Garnett proclaimed. Wemby has hopes to come back with a vengeance. He was visibly upset with how his season ended, unable to lead his team in a late playoff push. It’s clear his only intention is to do everything in his power to ensure the Spurs are contenders next season.

It won’t be an easy feat, but if anyone has the potential to make it happen, it is Wembanyama. After all, he led the league in total blocks despite playing only 46 games. If he were to have a full season under his belt alongside De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs could make a formidable bid in this cut-throat Western Conference.