Wembanyama's journey to the Shaolin Temple involved daily martial arts practice, isolating himself from the outside world to maintain his weight while sneaking out to eat meat.

On June 22, Beijing time, Wembanyama and comedian Kevin Hart sat shirtless in custom metal bathtubs designed for their height, where the comedian asked the rising NBA star about his two-week training experience at the Shaolin Temple in China.

The 21-year-old Spurs center, who had just returned to the U.S., first bathed alongside Hart for an episode of the comedian's podcast "Coldas Balls," and then joined LeBron James, Tom Brady, and host Kai Cenat on "The Shop."

During both events, the relaxed conversations were interspersed with humorous questions from Hart and the guests of "The Shop," all revolving around people's curiosity about his trip to China.

In "The Shop," he tried to downplay his experience by mentioning, "I just spent two weeks in China training with monks."

The guests clearly didn't let this "by the way" comment slide, as several, including Brady, pressed him further, saying, "We need to hear more about this." Wembanyama laughed as he shared the details: he went to the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China, with a strength coach from the Spurs. "It was an amazing experience," he said. "My goal was to put my body through unfamiliar training, enhancing my range of motion and strength. This was probably very different from my usual training methods."

What was the specific training like?

"I practiced martial arts every day. It was a vegetarian temple, similar to a monastery... I was isolated there." Wembanyama added that most of the meals consisted of zucchini and rice noodles. To maintain his weight (he told Hart he currently weighs around 111 kilograms), he had to sneak out occasionally to eat some meat.

The most noticeable change in Wembanyama's appearance from this trip was his hairstyle—he was first asked by the monks to shave his head, which he did without hesitation. "I might be considered a Buddhist now," he joked, "and it was worth it."

Wembanyama did not mention his injury status. He was sidelined for the remainder of the 2024-25 season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder in February but is expected to recover before the new season begins. This was also his first public discussion about Greg Popovich stepping down as head coach of the Spurs.

Wembanyama admitted he was quite shocked when Popovich ended his 29-year coaching career and transitioned to a management role (with Mike Johnson taking over as head coach) in early May. "First of all, from a personal perspective," he said, "we had a very close relationship, and there was a strong bond between him and the players. When something like this happens, it always brings sadness and shock. But it's incredible how he continues to bring hope in his own way, constantly motivating us, because his work ethic is more intense than that of most athletes in the world."

Kevin Hart suddenly asked Wembanyama if he was a loyal fan of Kevin Durant, to which he replied, "Absolutely." This may not be coincidental—Durant, who will turn 37 in September, is likely to be traded to teams like the Spurs before the new season. Wembanyama stated that Durant's playing style has inspired him throughout his career, but he and Hart did not engage in any "recruitment pitches" to avoid violating inducement rules.