Victor Wembanyama’s Dominance Sparks Kendrick Perkins Family’s Shaolin Monks Idea

Kendrick Perkins has plans to send his kids to the Shaolin monks after Victor Wembanyama's Game 1 heroics.

Victor Wembanyama’s Dominance Sparks Kendrick Perkins Family’s Shaolin Monks Idea

Kendrick Perkins on Victor Wembanyama (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Victor Wembanyama scored 41 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in a double overtime win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
  • Kendrick Perkins announced plans to send his children to the Shaolin Temple for mental and physical training inspired by Wembanyama's experience.
  • Wembanyama became the youngest player to achieve a 40-20 game in the Conference Finals during his impressive playoff run.

There seems to be no answer to Victor Wembanyama at the moment. The 7’4″ center was at his dominant best against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

Wembanyama posted another double-double in the playoffs as he recorded a game-high 41 points to go along with 24 rebounds and three blocks in 49 minutes. It was the most minutes he has ever played since being drafted into the NBA.

His all-round performance on Monday night saw him leading the San Antonio Spurs to a closely fought 122-115 win over the Thunder at the Paycom Center. It was a thrilling contest from start to finish, with the game going to double overtime.

After the game, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins revealed that he has decided to send his kids to the Shaolin Temple.

I was watching the game with my wife and kids and I told my wife that we are sending our kids to those monks that Wemby went to this summer because I need that mentality. It’s the monks, I am sending my children.

Kendrick Perkins on Sportcenter

Victor Wembanyama has been on a tear in the playoffs so far. In his first-ever playoffs, he has broken a few records already and did so once again on Monday. He became the youngest player to record a 40-20 game in the Conference Finals.

However, for all his talent and skill, things have not been easy for the French star. His 2024-25 campaign was cut short when he was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his right shoulder in February 2025. The injury cut short his season and led him to spend time at the historic Shaolin Temple in China.

The results have been promising for Wembanyama. He is having his best season in the NBA and is already the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year.

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Victor Wembanyama on his time at the Shaolin Temple

After getting diagnosed with DVT, Victor Wembanyama didn’t just stay at home and rehab. He decided to take it a step further and spent time in a 10-day spiritual and physical training retreat at the historic Shaolin Temple. He strengthened his mind, body, and spirit during his time there.

In a recent interview, Wembanyama recalled his time at the retreat.

We meet a few monks and they’re very social and they have phones and stuff. We were like, ‘Hmm, interesting. Let’s see how it goes.’ But I’m not sure if it is where I want to spend these next weeks in the summer because it’s an important summer. We eat a few vegetarian things and after that they go to show us a demonstration, a show of what they do — kung fu. Let’s just say that 30 seconds in, we were convinced. All the doubts we might have had before, long gone.

Victor Wembanyama in an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews

Wembanyama moved away from basketball during his time there. He focused on meditation and kung fu. It was the full-on Shaolin Temple experience, and he is reaping its rewards now.

Kendrick Perkins advises Chet Holmgren to take Victor Wembanyama matchup personally

While the spotlight was on Victor Wembanyama and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander heading into this series, it was the matchup between Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren that got everyone excited. Holmgren is one of the few players who can try to match up against the French star in terms of height and movement, but that was far from the case in Game 1.

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren
Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren (Image credits – Master Clutch/X)

After the game, Kendrick Perkins slammed Holmgren for not taking this matchup personally.

Can he try? That’s the first thing. Because I saw him ducking smoke tonight. I didn’t see too much of him in one-on-one action guarding Wemby. In order for him to stand a chance, Chet Holmgren is going to have to take this personally, especially on the defensive side of the basketball. Tonight, he’s going to have a hard time getting sleep. He’s got to take this personally because Wemby is not going to stop.

Wembanyama was too hot to handle for Holmgren to handle in Game 1. The Thunder center was basically a no-show on both sides of the court on Monday. He had just eight points and eight rebounds in 41 minutes. Wembanyama has had his number this whole season, and Holmgren will need to be more assertive if he has any chance against the Spurs center.

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