Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama plays chess with the next 7-foot French star in the making

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama spent off time playing chess with Maxime Raynaud, a future 7-foot basketball star in the making. Jeff G, the Spurs beat writer for Kens 5, posted a screenshot of Raynaud's Instagram post on X (formerly Twitter) on September 2 and provided context with his caption.

"Here's Victor Wembanyama playing chess vs Maxime Raynaud, French basketball player and player at Stanford," Jeff wrote.

In the picture, Wemby and Raynaud are sitting on a couch, engaged in a game of chess. The Spurs' star player had an intense look on his face and seemed to be invested in the board game.

Despite the San Antonio Spurs having one of their worst season in the franchise's history, Wembanyama stood out individually. The rookie averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game on a severely underwhelming Spurs roster.

Wemby also delivered a great performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he went to the gold medal game in the tournament with France. However, Team USA and a spectacular Steph Curry scoring spree in the second half of the game resulted in his national team's defeat with a final score of 98-87. Though disappointed with the loss, Wemby and France walked away with the Silver medal.

Meanwhile, Wemby's chess partner Maxime Raynaud is making a name for himself at the collegiate level. The 7-foot youngster is a player for Stanford University and is currently in his junior year. He has made the Pac-12 second team and has won the Pac-12 Most Improved Player award. Raynaud is averaging 15.5 points, 9.6 rebounds and two assists per game as a junior.

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Victor Wembanyama warns his opponents after missing out on the gold medal

After a heartbreaking loss in the gold medal game at the Paris Olympics, French international and San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama sent a clear warning to his future opponents.

"I’m learning, and I’m worried for the opponents in a couple of years," Wemby said while speaking to Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express.

Intrigued by his response, Finger asked the young talent whether he was referring to the FIBA opponents or the NBA ones. The Spurs star clarified that he was talking about everyone.