Wembanyama, who began playing chess at 7 years old, later proposed an "NBA players-only Chess tournament," with proceeds that go "to the charity of choice of the winner." In September, Wemby returned home where he held a chess competition with Stanford Cardinal forward, and fellow 7-footer, Maxime Raynaud.

Victor Wembanyama took some time for a New York City pastime in the rain on Saturday. The 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year stopped off at Washington Square Park to play chess after the Spurs’ two-game stint in the Big Apple this week.

The San Antonio Spurs took a road trip to New York for a pair of games against the Knicks and Nets, but Victor Wembanyama got in an extra one.