Victor Wembanyama was coming off his worst playoff performance in Game 5, which also saw the NBA send him a warning for skipping media duties. The cameras were still trained on the Spurs star when he made his first public appearance since that night. Then out came the 7’4″ figure in Game 6, wearing a dark green robe. Given Wembanyama’s recent time with Shaolin monks, some assumed the outfit was an ode to the patience and simplicity he had embraced during that experience.

One part of that assumption was true. Wembanyama was indeed paying homage, but not to Shaolin monks. When asked directly whether the outfit was connected to his recent stay with the Shaolin monks, Wembanyama quickly shut down the speculation.

“Well, it has nothing to do with the monks. Yes, it was for Eid,” he said.

The garment was a thobe, a loose-fitting robe commonly worn across parts of the Middle East and in Muslim communities around the world.  French journalist Maxime Aubin, who spoke with Wembanyama, noted that the player wasn’t Muslim. However, Islam is the second-largest faith in France. Hence, there’s a good chance Wembanyama is familiar with their holidays and traditions, even though it was the first time the Spurs star had sported a traditional outfit.

Wembanyama’s pattern of cultural immersion—from Shaolin to Eid—reflects his hunger for growth beyond basketball. He dove into a different culture and tradition, coming back with self-growth that showed instant results. Wembanyama had the best season of his NBA career, guiding the Spurs to 60 wins for the first time since 2017.

Victor Wembanyama leads the Spurs to Game 7

Wembanyama faced a lot of scrutiny in the past 48 hours. Aside from his absence from the press conference, a video of him asking his teammates to perform hard fouls went viral. He was under the pump, with Game 6 to win, otherwise the Spurs’ season would be over. As a team, San Antonio was furious with its performance in Oklahoma and wanted to get even. So when Wemby entered the locker room, Dylan Harper knew who would lead the team.

“Yeah, I mean, we all had a bad taste in our mouths after the last game. We felt like we left a lot on the table, and that’s just what Vic does. That’s the type of guy he is. A man of his word. So when he came in with that outfit, I think everyone knew what was going to happen,” Harper said about Wembanyama’s performance.

It didn’t take long. Wembanyama hyped the locker room before the game, delivering an inspiring speech that set the tone. Then came the explosion. Wembanyama scored 22 of his 28 points in the first half, giving the Spurs a comfortable lead. It bought his teammates some time to settle in. And they took over from the third quarter, where the Spurs outscored OKC 32-13.

By the end of the night, Wembanyama had finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks while shooting 10-of-21 from the field, helping San Antonio secure a 118-91 victory and force a winner-take-all Game 7.

Wembanyama made a statement both on and off the court. But he might still have something against the media. After being warned, his press conference comprised short answers, which is unlike him. It could just be because of the focus required to attack Game 7 of the WCF. Either way, Wemby is preparing to do more of what he did today. Offensively, he set the tone early while recording a game-high three blocks.