By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Presenting a tournament featuring basketball and chess was a first, and Victor Wembanyama also confirmed a second Hoop Gambit in his hometown of Le Chesnay.
The recent event paired chess with one-on-one and three-on-three basketball competitions, designed by Wemby for the local community.
“First edition of Hoop Gambit was a success. 150 chess players, 300-plus hoopers. In my hometown, few minutes from where I grew up,” the 21-year-old center of the San Antonio Spurs wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday, “Thank you to the city of Le Chesnay and the volunteer workers who helped achieve this project. Thank you to my partners, Nike and Chess.com, for supporting me. This is just the beginning, we’re going to do it bigger and even better next year.”
The first installment of Hoop Gambit attracted attention well beyond Le Chesnay, including Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves sitting down for a chess match against the organizer.
Apart from being vocal about his connection to chess and the impact on his basketball moves, Wembanyama revisited the link during a road trip with the Spurs in December, playing chess with fans in New York.
A few weeks forward from the NBA Christmas Games 2024, he was ruled out for the remainder of the 2024-25 Regular Season due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Limited to 46 appearances in his second NBA journey, he averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per contest.
Returning to action after sitting out the EuroBasket 2025, the French superstar has been medically cleared for the next season.