Spurs' Wembanyama says he will never promote sports betting companies

Victor Wembanyama says he will never endorse a sportsbook, calling it 'very sad' when fellow players promote gambling.

Victor Wembanyama says he will never put his name behind a sports betting company. The San Antonio Spurs star addressed the topic Thursday while meeting with reporters after the third day of the team's training camp, as San Antonio prepares for the new NBA season. His answer left no room for doubt.

Mike Finger of the San Antonio Express-News asked whether Wembanyama would ever consider signing a deal with a sportsbook. "Absolutely not. I will never do that," Wembanyama answered. "Honestly, I think it's very sad to see some players promote it, in my opinion. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me."

The remarks arrive less than a month after LeBron James drew widespread criticism for promoting a partnership with Polymarket, a prediction market platform. That arrangement is expected to pay James roughly $15 million per year, beginning in the same year he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a veteran-minimum contract that pays him just under $8 million for the season.

Prediction markets such as Polymarket accept wagers on nearly any outcome and match users against one another rather than against a bookmaker. James is hardly the only prominent sports figure with financial ties to gambling or gambling-adjacent promotions.

Kevin Durant and Boardroom, his sports media outlet, entered a partnership with FanDuel two years ago. Steph Curry, Shaquille O'Neal and Tom Brady were among the athletes who promoted FTX, the former crypto company, a category of deal often viewed as a form of gambling.

For Wembanyama, refusing betting brands is part of a wider test he applies to any potential sponsor. "There was a dimension of money in the past, but not anymore," he said of how he chooses partners. "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," he continued. Wembanyama framed the decision as a matter of influence rather than income. "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, that approach has already cost him income. The agent said the Spurs center has in the past turned down offers from soda companies, including Coca-Cola, over concerns about the products' health effects on children.

Wembanyama is widely seen as a future face of the NBA. If his career reaches the global level many anticipate, it will happen without some of the endorsement categories that helped turn Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James into worldwide icons.