Watch: Victor Wembanyama Continues Stacking Ws With Side Missions With Crazy Free Kick

A video of Victor Wembanyama placing a free kick absolutely perfectly in the top corner is sending the internet into a tizzy.

Watch: Victor Wembanyama Continues Stacking Ws With Side Missions With Crazy Free Kick

Victor Wembanyama in China (Image via IG)

Traveling and exploring new cultures is something that every youngster has on their bucket list today. The world is a more open place than ever, despite all the turmoil with wars in the Middle-East and Ukraine. It is easier to travel to a new country now than it has ever been, and a lot of young people are able to make memories and take advantage of it. NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama fits this description perfectly.

Many consider travel and exploring to be ‘side missions’ of sorts. Goofing around, talking to new people, assimilating and finding new landscapes and cultural remnants isn’t something you often see NBA stars doing during their active careers. Most of them head off to fashionable vacation destinations like Dubai, Cancun and other Instagram-worthy places.

But Wemby is clearly cut from a different cloth, as we’ve seen recently. He’s played chess with 100 people at a fan event, belying the ‘athletes are jocks’ stereotypes. He keeps questions ready for every occasion that he meets with Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. He has a cerebral quality to him that is rare for modern basketball players. This has led him to different pursuits from his peers in his offseason.

The towering 7’3″ French basketball player was spotted traveling through China. He appears to have made a spiritual stop at the famed Shaolin Temple, as seen in a widely circulated photo on Chinese social media platform Weibo.

In the image, shared a few weeks ago by the NBA’s official Weibo account, Victor Wembanyama is shown with a shaved head and dressed in a gray robe as he’s seated before a Buddha statue. The post noted that he had “reportedly” embarked on a 10-day retreat at the temple in the Henan province.

The 21-year-old Frenchman has now outdone himself in his latest viral video. Wemby has often been spotted kicking around with opponents over a foot shorter than him. In this video from Tokyo, where he’s vacationing currently, the 7’3″ center is seen lining up to take a free kick.

He makes immaculate contact with the ball and sends it rocketing to the top right corner. The quality of the shot taken by him is something that he’ll definitely remember forever.

Victor Wembanyama is an avid soccer fan and loves playing

Growing up in Le Chesnay, near Paris, Wembanyama played soccer as a goalkeeper before focusing on basketball, leveraging his extraordinary height and athleticism. His love for soccer remains evident through his vocal support for Paris Saint-Germain. He’s been spotted at PSG matches, notably alongside star Kylian Mbappé, and has playfully expressed readiness to “sign” with the club, showcasing his enthusiasm.

Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama (Imagn)

Everything about the aforementioned video clip signals just how big a soccer fan Victor Wembanyama is. He lines up for the free kick with his legs wide open, just like Cristiano Ronaldo did in his Man United days. His follow through, his placement and his celebration indicate just how seriously he takes his footy skills.

His soccer background also explains his basketball prowess in some ways. His agility, balance, and footwork—honed through soccer—enhance his on-court fluidity, drawing comparisons to legends like Hakeem Olajuwon, who was also a goalkeeper before migrating to Houston and playing NCAA basketball.

Wembanyama’s camaraderie with Spurs teammate Jeremy Sochan includes playful jabs over Sochan’s Arsenal fandom, underscoring their shared love for soccer despite rival team allegiances. Whether juggling a ball before NBA games or engaging with fans on the pitch, Wembanyama’s soccer fandom is a vibrant part of his identity.

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