Victor Wembanyama Shuts Down Critics Calling Him 'Too Emotional' for Crying on the Court

Victor Wembanyama on March 16, 2026
Credit: AP Photo/Ryan Sun

Wembanyama said, "That's a tough question. 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," Wembanyama added.

The Spurs star's response resonated with fans. "It’s cool and refreshing to see a professional athlete with such high emotional intelligence," said one user on X.

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Even a Portland Trailblazers fan, whose team was eliminated by the Spurs on Tuesday, spoke in support of Wembanyama's response. "He just crushed my Blazers and I hate him for that, but he seems like such a genuinely good dude and he’s gonna give the league hell for years to come. Glad he doesn’t have to be the enemy anymore," the Portland fan said.

Wembanyama also addressed his emotions after the Spurs' series-clinching victory, telling reporters, "It feels like a step passed, step 1 done. I'm personally happy to see things are moving forward in the right direction."

During the offseason, Wembanyama spent 10 days at Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou, China, where he studied Chinese meditation, Shaolin Kung Fu, traditional Chinese medicine and more, according to ESPN. “Kung fu. Everyday. It was like a vegan temple, monastery. … I was isolated,” Wembanyama said on an episode of The Shop.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “My goal going there was putting my body through things that it’s not used to doing and allowing my range of movement and strength. This was probably as very different as possible from what I’m used to doing.”

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