San Antonio’s Wembanyama responds to critics calling him ‘gay’ for getting emotional

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama speaks to reporters. Credit: Meradith Garcia

With the San Antonio Spurs preparing for their first second-round playoff appearance since 2017, star player Victor Wembanyama isn’t yielding to online critics who have called him out for being “too emotional.”

Last week, French sports reporter Maxime Aubin asked Wemby what he thought about Internet trolls tweaking him for being “too emotional” or “gay” for expressing himself on and off the court.

“That’s a tough question,” Wembanyama responded. “I think it’s, first and foremost, a fear of judgment. Like this feeling that you have to act a certain way — social codes, I guess. Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions.”

Indeed, the 22-year-old French phenom hasn’t been afraid to show how he feels, notably crying after a comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers in March, and, more recently, tearing up following Game 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The San Antonio Spurs will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:30 p.m. at the Frost Bank Center. Resale tickets via Ticketmaster start at $134. Those at home can stream the game on Peacock.


Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed


Wembanyama becomes youngest Defensive Player of the Year in NBA history

The San Antonio Spurs superstar also is a finalist for the NBA’s coveted MVP award, which is likely to be announced in May.

Spurs owe City of San Antonio $5 million over failed MLS experiment

With city coffers running dry, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wants SS&E and other corporate entities to start paying-up.

Tickets for San Antonio Spurs’ next playoff round on sale now

The Spurs eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night in decisive victory, but head coach Mitch Johnson said there’s ‘room for improvement.’

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,… More by Michael Karlis