The San Antonio Spurs have rounded into form after a tough start to the season, now sitting at 4-2 on the 2026-27 campaign. Spurs star Victor Wembanyama recently made headlines by criticizing his fellow NBA stars who have gotten into bed with gambling companies by promoting their products.
Now, Wembanyama has doubled down on that take.
“You can choose to be the guy that's gonna promote gambling and alcohol… I want to promote healthy things. I don't mean just the food but healthy habits, things that make people's lives better,” he said, per CBS' 60 Minutes on X, formerly Twitter.
It's certainly a rare stance for a star to take in today's NBA, with high-profile players like LeBron James partnering up with Polymarket and Giannis Antetokounmpo owning a considerable stake of Kalshi, among others.
The league itself has also partnered with sportsbooks, and one can rarely make it through more than five minutes of a broadcast in 2026 without seeing a live point spread or other gambling promotional material plastered on the screen or read out loud by the commentator.
Article Continues BelowThis increased partnership with the gambling world has come with significant controversy, especially as a growing number of NBA players find themselves in legal hot water due to participating in the gambling itself or trading of information, with Malik Beasley and Terry Rozier among the players who have been exiled from the league as a result of such allegations.
Still, it doesn't appear that Wembanyama's hard line is going to stop the NBA or some of its other top stars from chasing the money that gambling companies have to offer them anytime soon.

