Victor Wembanyama nears eight-foot as NBA insiders suggest Spurs star undergoes growth spurt
Victor Wembanyama has been short changed.
Wemby was officially listed at 7ft 3in by the San Antonio Spurs, although fans have long argued that he is taller.
They were right.
In their latest roster update on their official site, the Spurs have listed French phenom Wembanyama as a whopping 7ft 4in and 235lbs, making him the joint-tallest player in the NBA.
NBA insiders and former players suggest Wemby is actually 7ft 7in
But now, Serbian big man Boban Marjanović, who also stood at 7’4” during his NBA playing days, has said he had to look up to Wemby when he came face-to-face with him.
“I’m officially 7’4”… I would look at (Wemby) and I was like ‘no way I’m taller than him.’,” Marjanovic told SportsCenter.
Long-time NBA analyst Brian Windhorst added: “He was listed as 7’3” as a rookie but that was a lie. He’s not 7’3”, I believe he’s actually about 7’5”.
“I believe he might be approaching 7’7” unofficially.”
Respected NBA insider Kevin O’Conner followed up on X: “I’ve been saying this a long time. Wemby is 100% near 7’7”.
“I’ve been around Boban, Tacko Fall, these enormous players. Wemby is taller than them all.”
The Spurs previously listed Wembanyama’s height as 7’5″.
“By the way, congrats to the Spurs for finally admitting he’s 7’5”, NBA commentator Bill Simmons said on his podcast.
“It’s just little baby steps until everyone admits he’s 7’6”, which he actually is. But at least we’re going with 7’5” now.
“Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) always lied, Bill Walton always lied, (Kevin) Durant is another height liar.”
The French phenom was already a matchup nightmare when he was drafted in 2023, and at 22, he still has room to grow.
It is not uncommon for youngsters to add height during their early years in the league — Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo became even more freakish after arriving in The Association — so The Alien could yet reach dimensions that are even more out of this world.
Already boasting an eight-foot wingspan, the Spurs superstar led the NBA in blocks over the last two seasons.
What is truly a frightening prospect is that many men don’t hit their physical peak until their late 20s.
If there is one criticism of Wemby, it is a lack of strength at the post — something he is working hard to address.
The Frenchman has added 40 pounds in two years since being drafted and spent last offseason honing his body and mind.
Teammate Luke Kornet was on the receiving end early in preparations for the new season.
The 7ft 2in, 250-pound center was bullied in an intrasquad scrimmage recently as Wemby shoved him in the chest to clear a path before unleashing a brutal two-handed dunk.
Over 10,000 fans bore witness and Kornet admitted he felt the force of Wemby’s offseason work.
“He’s obviously gotten a lot stronger,” he said of his teammate. “He can be just honestly a monster.”
Victor Wembanyama’s offseason workout regime
Wembanyama’s summer included a trip to a Shaolin temple in China.
“I don’t think many people have trained the way we trained this summer,” he said. “It was my best summer so far. I can tell the progress is just incredible.
“It was very much out of my comfort zone. That was my intent from the start.”
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“It might seem quick,” he said. “But it has been long for me.”
Spurs teammate Harrison Barnes joined him for summer workouts with skills trainer Noah Laroche in in Los Angeles.
All-time greats Hakeem Olajuwon and Kevin Garnett have also been sought out for advice.
“[Hakeem] has still got it…It was incredible. His advice felt natural. Even though it was a lot, it felt like I was absorbing it every day. And it was just a few days, but super useful,” he said.
“It looked like it was a pleasure for him to teach. So I would want to go again for sure.”
On Garnett, Wemby added: “Super interesting… he’s got a very unique perspective on the relationship…as a leader, relationships with teammates and opponents and even the refs…and even the media, everybody.
“I think he’s really smart emotionally… he’s got this energy, but he knows how to channel it and use it for the best.”
Victor Wembanyama adopts new diet
Brutal workouts and a beefed-up diet have ensured Wemby is entering training camp in the shape of his life.
“I don’t think I’ll be obese anytime soon,” Wembanyama said. “But I’ve been eating a lot.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson is thrilled with the youngster’s incredible work ethic.
“The things he thinks about that may be a small nuance,” Johnson said. “But he feels like, ‘If I can add this to my world being, mindset, whatever it may be.’ … I know I wasn’t thinking like that at that age.”
“Once he gets around the goal and gets downhill, now he can actually take some bumps and still be able to gather and reach (the rim),” Kornet said. “It’s the foundation for him really being an offensive star.”
The journey to success starts in the mind, and Wembanyama is locked in.
“I feel better, I look stronger and the scale says I’m heavier,” he said. “So everything is a green light.”
Wemby named DPOY amid Spurs title run
Wembanyama was named the 2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season, and was the first to be voted unanimously since the award’s inception in 1982-83.
At just 22-years-old, Wembanyama became the youngest winner of the award after edging past Oklahoma City Thunder‘s Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons – each of whom helped their teams secure the No. 1 seeds for the playoffs.
The French phenom led the NBA in blocks (197) for the second straight season, while he also logged 66 steals for the Spurs, who finished the regular season with the Association’s second-best defensive rating (110.4).
Wembanyama also ranked fourth in the league in rebounding, averaging 11.5 per game, of which 9.5 were defensive, which saw him trail only behind three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
After beating the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs, Wemby and the Spurs are currently locked in a tight series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Should the Spurs advance, the defending champion Thunder await in the Western Conference finals, with a place in the 2026 NBA Finals on the line.
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