Victor Wembanyama trained with teammate Harrison Barnes and skills trainer Noah LaRoche this summer in Los Angeles, working on a revolutionary training method called the Constraints-Led Approach, according to a report from The Athletic. LaRoche spent part of the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Wembanyama spent time at LaRoche’s gym participating in three-on-three drills designed to force optimal decision-making. LaRoche stopped practice when Wembanyama executed a Euro step, showing him video of a better spacing option he missed in the moment.
The CLA replaces traditional block training with game-like situations featuring special rules that force athletes to adapt their moves instantly. The method places players in scenarios with different limitations called constraints to simulate unpredictable game environments.
LaRoche’s approach eliminates predetermined moves in favor of reading each specific situation. Barnes connected Wembanyama with LaRoche after using the trainer’s methods for six years to evolve his own game.
“Vic is extremely intelligent, right? So his ability to want to be pushed, want to be challenged, want to be great, I think (the CLA) was a natural fit for him,” Barnes said. “It’s good to see that because it opens up a different world for guys.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers implemented CLA training last season under head coach Kenny Atkinson, posting a 64-18 record. The team won its first 15 games and finished with the NBA’s best offense on a per-possession basis.
Four-time WNBA All-Star Kelsey Plum credits the methodology with transforming her career after working with LaRoche. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Liverpool and Oklahoma City Thunder have incorporated similar principles into their organizations.
