San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama has firmly ruled out ever lending his image to a sports betting company, distancing himself from a growing trend across the NBA. Asked by San Antonio Express-News journalist Mike Finger whether he would consider such a deal, the French star's answer left no room for doubt.
"Absolutely not. I will never do that," Wembanyama said, before adding: "I find it very sad to see some players promoting it." He stressed that the choice remains a personal one for each player, but confirmed operators will not be able to use his likeness.
His comments come weeks after LeBron James, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, partnered with prediction market platform Polymarket in a deal reportedly worth 15 million dollars per year. Earlier, Giannis Antetokounmpo became a stakeholder in Kalshi, another major prediction market player, and appeared in several of its advertising campaigns.
The proximity between professional sport and betting remains a sensitive issue for the NBA, whose own list of official partners includes DraftKings and FanDuel. The league has also had to tighten controls following recent betting-related controversies, while publicly addressing threats made by gamblers against players.
