Victor Wembanyama isn’t just preparing for his second season in the NBA. He’s transforming.

After a stellar rookie campaign that put the league on notice, the 7-foot-3 San Antonio Spurs center decided to go off the grid, per TikTok. Not to a Miami beach. Not to a Vegas penthouse. Wembanyama flew to Zhengzhou, China for a 10-day retreat at the Shaolin Temple, the sacred home of Kung Fu.

And yes, he went fully bald.

Images of Wemby in monk robes, sitting in deep meditation and walking barefoot through temple grounds, quickly went viral. It wasn’t just the shaved head that sparked conversation. It was what it signaled. This wasn’t about fashion. It was about focus. Former Celtics star Paul Pierce immediately picked up on that energy — and had jokes.

Appearing on KG Certified with Kevin Garnett, the duo reacted to Wembanyama's new look. Garnett said, “He went bald head,” before Pierce jumped in with, “Oh, he’s serious huh?” and “He off this little pretty boy sh-t.” Then, with his signature straight face, Pierce added, “I don’t care what y’all thinking out here, I’m bald head. I might swing on you.” The delivery had Garnett howling.

@allthesmoke Wemby is taking his preparation for next season to another level ⛰️ All-new Ticket & The Truth drops Wednesday morning on the KG Certified YouTube. #VictorWembanyama #Spurs #NBA #kevingarnett #paulpierce #finals #playoffs ♬ original sound – All the Smoke

But underneath the laughs, Pierce tapped into something real. “He locked in. He off the curls, all that light skin sh-t,” he said. “Light skin cats don’t like cutting they hair like that. They don’t even like you touching it.”

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A different kind of offseason for Victor Wembanyama

While most players spend their summer working on their jumper or hitting weight rooms, Wembanyama chose something different.

According to reports, he adjusted his schedule to fully commit to the Shaolin lifestyle — meditating, eating in silence, learning kung fu forms, and embracing strict discipline alongside monks. For 10 days, the league's reigning block leader stepped away from cameras and into quiet.

His trip also included visits to the Great Wall and sampling local street food, but the temple time was no tourist activity. Victor Wembanyama wasn’t treated as a star. He was accepted as a student. And that may be the most dangerous part for the rest of the league.

He’s no longer just the unicorn. He’s the monk in the paint, and he might be coming back with a whole new mindset.