Just when you thought Victor Wembanyama's ceiling was too high, the otherworldly phenom found another way to raise it, this time showing off his ability to think, rather than just play the game.
Oh, you thought this was about basketball?
Well as it turns out, chess and basketball aren't all that different. Both are played on hardwood, both feature push-and-pull tactical manoeuvres, and apparently, Wembanyama is passionate about both.
The San Antonio Spurs superstar-in-the-making took some time off from the busy NBA schedule to show off some skills on a different kind of hardwood, taking on challengers in New York's Washington Square Park in some friendly games of chess.
The park is known for its connection to the game, with famous players such as Bobby Fischer, a former grandmaster, having taken part in games there. It's also been a spot used for multiple movie scenes featuring the popular game.
Wembanyama was there for an hour in the rain, from about 10-11 a.m. He played four games, winning two and losing two before departing to catch the Spurs' flight to Minnesota.
It came out of nowhere. Prior to last night, Wembanyama hadn't sent out a tweet in over four months, but something deeper compelled him to ask social media where the best spots to play chess in NYC are.
Then, on a rainy Saturday morning, less than 12 hours after his Spurs beat the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center, Wembanyama took to the streets, telling fans to come test their might against him in chess.
"I was just feeling like it, that's enough of a reason," Wemby told Bleacher Report's Molly Morrison when asked about why he wanted to spend his Saturday morning playing chess. "It was a lot of fun, I learned a lot."
Many wondered if he would actually show up, or if they'd be able to spot him among the many chess players in the much-frequented Washington Square Park, but standing at seven-foot-five, well, he's sort of hard to miss. Even sitting down playing, it's apparent that he's not built like any other man to walk this Earth.
Pair his one-of-a-kind frame and knack for stuffing shots at the rim with a tactical game sense developed from the game of chess, it's just unfair, but that's a problem for the rest of the league.
But for now, he's still got some room to grow in chess, as he told Morrison that he lost two games against pros who came out to play, but managed to take down his brother on Saturday.
“We need an NBA players only Chess tournament, proceeds go to the charity of choice of the winner,” he wrote on social media after his surprise appearance.
The 20-year-old is currently the odds-on favourite to win defensive player of the year and is leading the league in blocks per game with an outstanding 4.0 a night. He's also averaging a calm 25.2 points and 10.1 rebounds while shooting 48.0 per cent from the field and 36.1 per cent from three-point range.
Who would've thought his affinity for protecting the paint would translate to protecting the king? Talk about multi-faceted.
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