Wemby, Rudy Gobert Play Chess Together 'Almost Every Time' Before Spurs vs. Wolves Games

Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert are foes on the court, but the Frenchmen carve out time for bonding before every game between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves.

Gobert told ESPN's Anthony Gharib this week that he and Wemby play chess together "almost every time" the Spurs and T-Wolves face off.

Wembanyama suggested that chess is a way to both distract oneself and stay mentally sharp, saying, "I figure it's like hitting two birds with one stone. Sometimes you just need to get away. You don't have the focus needed to read or the focus needed to study something, so chess is good in that sense."

Meanwhile, Gobert suggested to Gharib that chess is a good way to build up mental fortitude, saying, "When you're just sitting and you're just playing chess, you don't have to do anything else but focus on the board. But when you actually start to get some fatigue, mental fatigue, physical fatigue. I think it's harder to make right decisions, so it kind of challenges you even more."

Since Wembanyama entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft, he and Gobert have had some epic battles on the court as two of the top centers in the NBA.

In three NBA seasons, Wemby is already a two-time All-Star and he is about to become a three-time block champion. He is also a runaway favorite for NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors this season, as well as a strong MVP contender.

Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Gobert is widely regarded as one of the best defensive players in NBA history with four DPOY awards and eight NBA All-Defensive Team selections to his credit.

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At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Wembanyama and Gobert were teammates on the French national team that made it all the way to the finals before falling to the United States.

Wemby and Gobert could stand in each other's way when it comes to winning an NBA championship this season, though, as Wembanyama's Spurs are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and Gobert's T-Wolves are the No. 6 seed.

Should the Spurs and Timberwolves meet at some point during the playoffs, the winner of the clash between Wembanyama and Gobert could determine who wins the series.

Perhaps one of them can gain a mental edge over the other by beating them in chess beforehand as well.