Shot-blocking phenom Victor Wembanyama’s metamorphosis into a Shaolin Monk is nearly complete. In Thursday’s 119-101 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, the San Antonio Spurs star introduced a new, bald look, alongside his teammate, Keldon Johnson, who also shaved off all his hair before the game.
According to rising star Stephon Castle, Wemby and Johnson tried to recruit other teammates to go bald, only to be turned down. They knew better than to ask Castle, who is known for his signature dreadlocks and high-top fade.
“They knew not to ask me,” Castle said after the game.
“It’s not going to happen,” he added, ruling out shaving his locks.
A: “Yeah they did… they knew not to ask me.”
Stephon Castle had no interest in getting a haircut with Keldon and Wemby 😂
Bald Wemby Shocks the World
According to Johnson, Wembanyama plotted the idea for both of them to shave their heads on Wednesday night, less than 24 hours after their loss to Western Conference foes the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Last night, Vic was like, ‘Yo, let’s bald our head.’ And I was like, ‘Shit, let’s do it. ‘ I mean, I’ve been looking for a reason to do it,” he said, via Jared Weiss of The Athletic.
When Wemby and Johnson returned from Oklahoma City, they immediately obtained some clippers and got to work.
“Vic bald my hair, and I bald his hair. No ladder,” Johnson revealed.
Teammate De’Aaron Fox suspects Wemby was trying to send a message after the Spurs were blown out by the Thunder in the highly-anticipated NBA Cup semifinals rematch.
“Bad things happen, I guess, when we lose to OKC,” Fox said, via The Athletic. “We landed. They got in Vic’s car and started shaving their heads.”
Wemby, the Monk
The Spurs star had also shaved his head during the 2025 offseason when he trained with monks at China’s popular Shaolin Temple, focusing on kung fu, meditation and discipline to enhance body control and mental focus. The Spurs star later revealed that the unique training was designed to push his physical and mental limits beyond regular basketball drills, and to improve strength and movement through monastic practices.
“This summer, I chose to do something much more violent,” Wemby said at Spurs Media Day back in October. “Maybe that takes away from some time I can spend on shooting the basketball, but it doesn’t matter. I wanted to get my body back.”
Wemby also embraced his spiritual calling after enduring a life-threatening situation with blood clots last year, which prematurely ended his 2024-25 campaign.
“The traumatic experience (is) very much linked to all the stuff I’ve done in the summer. There’s also a big feeling that life isn’t forever and there are some experiences we’re going to miss (out) on. It’s inevitable. But I’m going to miss (out) on the least that I can. I want to experience the most and this is something that I wanted to do.”
The offseason routine has definitely paid off for Wemby, who’s averaging 23.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.7 blocks for the Spurs, while leading the franchise to a 28-13 record, good for the second seed in the loaded Western Conference.
The Spurs are set to end their six-year playoff drought this season.
Victor Wembanyama’s Bizzare Request Shot Down by Spurs Teammates