Victor Wembanyama calls out NBA players promoting gambling: ‘Very sad’
· Yahoo Sports
Many NBA players will promote anything for a price, but when it comes to promoting gambling, Victor Wembanyama won’t do that.
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While meeting with reporters after Day 3 of San Antonio Spurs training camp Thursday, Wembanyama was asked by Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News whether he would ever consider promoting a sports betting company.
Victor Wembanyama was asked if he would ever sign a deal with a sports betting company: “Absolutely not. Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it.” pic.twitter.com/foorjwznDq
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) October 1, 2026
“Absolutely not. I will never do that,” Wembanyama answered definitively. “Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it, in my opinion. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.”
Wembanyama may not have intended this to be a direct shot at LeBron James. But his genuine desire to avoid betting partnerships comes less than a month after James was widely criticized for promoting a Polymarket partnership. The deal is expected to pay James about $15 million per year, beginning in a year where James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for a veteran-minimum contract worth just under $8 million for the season.
In terms of sports betting partnerships, prediction markets like Polymarket are considered the lowest of the low. By allowing wagers on just about everything and pitting users against each other instead of the house like a more traditional sportsbook, prediction markets are more apt to encourage insider trading.
James certainly isn’t the only prominent sports figure to promote a betting partnership. Kevin Durant and his sports media company, Boardroom, partnered with FanDuel two years ago. Steph Curry, Shaquille O’Neal, and even Tom Brady are among athletes who promoted former crypto giant FTX, which can certainly be viewed as a form of gambling.
But Wembanyama wasn’t just talking about steering clear of betting brands, he made it clear he has no desire to take a buck from any company he doesn’t align with morally. If Wembanyama doesn’t feel he’s promoting a brand that can have a positive influence on society, then he probably isn’t going to promote the brand.
“There was a dimension of money in the past, but not anymore,” Wembanyama said on how he decides which companies or brands he’s willing to partner with. “I’ve refused much much more money than I’ve made for things that were not to my values. And now I want to promote things that have a good impact, have a good influence, with whom I can share messages with, and values. Obviously, we earn millions and millions, this is not our biggest strength. Our biggest strength is inspiring, and we can inspire in a good or a bad way. I want to inspire in a good way.”
According to Wembanyama’s agent, he even previously rejected deals with soda companies such as Coca-Cola because of its negative health effects on children. Wembanyama seems destined to be the next face of the NBA, but if he does become the global superstar everyone expects, it will be without some of the endorsement deals that made LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan into worldwide sensations.
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