Skilled big men like Hakeem Olajuwon, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama all possess tremendous footwork. Given that this skill becomes the foundation of their offensive approach, several skilled big men, as well as guards, have gained a lot of success from simply mastering the fundamentals of having good footwork.
With Victor Wembanyama realizing his potential after training with Olajuwon, Gilbert Arenas acknowledged the secret behind their coordination and footwork on a recent episode of “The Arena” podcast.
“Hakeem learned his footwork from soccer when he was 10, so it was natural for him,” Arenas claimed. “Guys who don’t have footwork, it’s hard for them to pick this up. Wemby, Jokic, Joel Embiid, mostly all guards, like DeRozan types, Shai, Luka, they can go to Hakeem because he can just teach them the moves. They already have the basics.”
“When you’re talking about pure athleticism, guys who just use athleticism, they can’t pick that up because they don’t have the basics of it,” added Arenas. “You can see it in Game 1. You can see it in the preseason that he [Wembanyama] absorbed, in a short period of time, what he [Olajuwon] was teaching.”
Arenas makes an interesting point about Victor Wembanyama and Hakeem Olajuwon in his statement. When considering that most of the skilled big men in the league are either European or African, it is evident that the influence of soccer has had an impact on their footwork and basic coordination.
This aligns with Arenas’ statement about guards who boast impressive footwork. Kobe Bryant, who famously trained with Olajuwon, was raised in Italy, where he also played soccer. This effectively set the foundation for his footwork.
On this note, Brandon Jennings chimed in, “Hakeem is more beneficial to him [Wembanyama] than like when Giannis went. It wasn’t more beneficial to Giannis; it was more beneficial to Wemby, because Wemby also played soccer.”
Jennings’ statement could be considered mildly inaccurate since Giannis Antetokounmpo is also a fairly proficient soccer player. But there is some merit to it since the Bucks superstar is known for implementing raw athleticism more often.
Victor Wembanyama Displays The Results Of His Training With Hakeem Olajuwon
To say that training with Hakeem Olajuwon in the summer has helped Victor Wembanyama grow would be an understatement. In four games, the young San Antonio Spurs center has looked like one of the best players in the NBA.
While remaining a prominent defensive presence, Wembanyama’s offensive production has seen visible improvement. Having understood Olajuwon’s footwork and how to alter the approach to playing in the post, the 21-year-old has looked nearly unstoppable.
For the 2025-26 season, Victor Wembanyama is averaging 33.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 6.0 blocks per game, shooting 56.9% from the field and 36.4% from three-point range thus far. Coming off another 20-10 performance, with 24 points and 15 rebounds against the Raptors on Monday night, the Spurs center has been dominant.
With a 4-0 record, Wembanyama and the Spurs have gotten off to a hot start. With some momentum behind them, San Antonio will look to build upon its streak by securing another win in the upcoming game against the Miami Heat on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 8:30 p.m. ET.
