San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is not a fan of from sports betting apps. in fact, he recently said he would turn down any endorsement deal, even as several of the NBA’s biggest names have entered partnerships with betting and prediction-market companies.
Wemby Wisdom
Speaking to reporters on Oct. 1 following a training camp workout, Wembanyama was asked whether he would ever consider promoting a sports betting website.
“Absolutely not,” Wembanyama said adamantly. “I will never do that. Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.”
The 22-year-old French player also explained that money has become less important when he decides which companies and products he wants to associate with. Wembanyama said he has turned down opportunities worth substantially more than deals he accepted because they did not align with his values.
“Even if I said that, I’ve refused plenty, much, much more money than I’ve made for things that were not [in line with] my values,” he said.
He added, “Obviously, we earn millions and millions. This is not our biggest strength. Our biggest strength is inspiring. I want to inspire in a good way. That’s the strongest thing I can do.”
NBA players including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic have all been associated with betting or prediction-market companies.
James recently entered a reported promotional partnership with Polymarket, while Antetokounmpo is a shareholder in Kalshi. Durant has a personal partnership with FanDuel, while Jokic signed on as a brand ambassador for SuperBet in Serbia.
Durant was subsequently asked about Wembanyama’s position. The Houston Rockets star, who has a FanDuel partnership, said on Oct. 2, “That’s Wemby. He’s gonna do what he does. That has nothing to do with me. I don’t really think about that question at all. It’s not really on my mind as much as his.”
Durant added, “Everybody’s gonna do what they want to do out here.”
ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith also weighed in.
“Wemby deserves profound respect for being conscientious enough to recognize who he is — the role model that he is — and the kind of detrimental effect such actions could potentially have on the lives of youngsters on the come up who may not be as adult as he is, who may not be as wise, conscientious, and covered with the right supporting cast that he has surrounding him,” Smith said.
Smith added, “And he knows that they could fall victim and be preyed upon and exposed to such matters.”
The NBA has dealt with several gambling-related scandals in recent years, including the 2024 lifetime ban of former player Jontay Porter after the league determined that he disclosed confidential information to bettors, limited his participation in games, and bet on NBA games himself.
