NEW YORK — By 11:30 a.m. Saturday, the mass of people cleared the southwest corner of Washington Square Park in downtown Manhattan. So had the 7-foot-3 NBA unicorn. The chess tables remained, empty and soaking wet. The remorse of the late-comers lingered in the air.

Victor Wembanyama pulled up to Washington Square Park to play chess despite it being a very rainy Saturday in New York City. The French superstar started playing when he was around seven years old, and his love for it is still there even now that he is an NBA star.

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.