ESPN's Stephen A Smith responded to the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama refusing to promote sports gambling. After watching Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James land a deal with Polymarket, some observed the statement as a shot at the future Hall of Fame forward. As Wembanyama and the Spurs prepare to avenge last season's 4-1 Finals loss to the New York Knicks, the All-Star center weighed in on a hot-button topic.

Smith had no issues with Wembanyama's comments during Spurs training camp about staying away from sports gambling, he said, per ESPN's First Take.

“LeBron James just agreed to a $15 million deal, reportedly, to do Polymarket. You've got some folks that have been doing DraftKings. You got Giannis Antetokounmpo that's got a deal with Kalshi that the NBA is looking into, and stuff like that. I get where Wemby is coming from. None of them are wrong,” Smith said. “I bless the opportunity to be a capitalist.

If you watch the league, if you watch corporations, if you watch these people bring in big-time money for themselves and their respective companies and industries, why are we going to fault the individual for taking it? So, I'm not here to cast any kind of aspersions or negative judgment on any player who elects to get paid involved, particularly in sports gaming in this day and age, because it's become a part of the sports fabric of America.”

Stephen A Smith understands where Spurs' Victor Wembanyama is coming from, but also doesn't condemn NBA players choosing to endorse sports betting companies.

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“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 added. “And he knows that they could fall victim and be preyed upon and exposed to such matters,” Smith concluded.

Wembanyama and the Spurs will host the Hawks in their preseason opener next Thursday.