San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama was asked about life in the U.S. and the upcoming 2026 midterm elections during a Sept. 28 news conference. The 22-year-old French basketball star said he feels fortunate to experience America as a professional athlete, while pointing out his experience as a highly paid professional athlete is considerably different from that of the average American.
Living in America
“I think I’m very lucky to be able to live here as an athlete,” Wembanyama said. “I think it’s a country where life is difficult for the average citizen, and there are many things that are beyond my understanding.”
The comments came as Wembanyama prepares for his fourth NBA season with the Spurs, with whom he will earn about $13.4 million for the 2026-2027 season.
Born and raised in Le Chesnay, a suburb west of Paris, Wembanyama entered the NBA as one of basketball’s most highly anticipated young players.
He also acknowledged the limits of his ability to influence American politics. Although he expects the midterm elections and the political environment to affect him, Wembanyama noted that he is not an American citizen and therefore cannot vote in U.S. elections.
“I don’t always feel like it’s easy to live here and have an impact on the big things in everyday life,” he said. “I’ll probably be affected, but unfortunately, I can’t directly impact it. I’m not American.”
His original rookie contract was worth about $55.17 million over four years, and in July 2026, the Spurs agreed to a five-year extension worth approximately $252 million.
The French center is not the first international NBA player to discuss the differences between life in the United States and Europe.
Former NBA player Thabo Sefolosha, who was born in Switzerland and spent 14 seasons in the league, previously said he did not plan to remain in the U.S. after his playing career. In a 2018 interview with Swiss newspaper Le Temps, he said, “The [American] culture is one that glorifies values that I don’t really share,” explaining that he wanted his children to experience something different and eventually returned to Switzerland.
