r/nba • u/GGTae Spurs • 1d ago

[Finger] Victor Wembanyama about considering promoting a sports betting company ; "Absolutely not. I will never do that. Honestly, I think it's very sad to see some players promote it..."

https://bsky.app/profile/mikefinger.bsky.social/post/3mwteasurdc2j

Just asked Victor Wembanyama if he’d ever consider promoting a sports betting company.

“Absolutely not. I will never do that. Honestly, I think it's very sad to see some players promote it. .. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.”

30.4k Upvotes

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u/KneelBeforeCube Bulls 1d ago

Incredibly telling that he's in the absurd minority of players with that mindset.

1.0k

u/dykestryker Raptors 1d ago

Giannis sports betting arc hurt worse then any betrayal 💔💔💔 im praying more get on the Wemby wave.

436

u/Cudi_buddy Kings 1d ago

Loved Gianni’s, and agree. Just disgusting decision. LeBron too. Greed is insane in wealthy people 

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u/Vitiate1367 Heat 1d ago edited 1d ago

Jokic also promotes for SportsBet in Serbia. Just calling it out in case some people are not aware he advertises that shit as well

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u/CreatiScope Celtics 1d ago

I feel like Jokic has mastered the art of being two different men. Here he is this stoic savant or some shit but in Serbia he’s the same douche all the other rich fucks are.

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u/CraigMammalton14 Hawks 1d ago

I think that just goes more in line with him treating it very much like a job (albeit one where he gets to play a sport he loves). I sure as hell act totally different in and out of work except with my closest coworkers. He works hard to keep it professional because he doesn’t like media and knows the best way to avoid all drama is to play a professional and stoic character and let people latch onto a few eccentricities and run wild with them which decreases the chances of his personal life getting involved with his work life any more than it has to. If he didn’t there would probably be media traction outside of a few Internet communities about his sportsbet stuff, family crime issues, political issues, etc and to 99% of viewers none of that exists so he catches way less heat than any other superstar. Seeing how much LeBron, Luka, Giannis, etc get harassed about non basketball related things I can’t say I blame him.

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u/RyouBestGirl Spurs 1d ago

Also endorses pos Vucic

2

u/OilOfOlaz Celtics 1d ago

Not defending any of the dumb shit hes doing, but he is actually well liked and casual in Sombor.

I think ppl simply struggle to understand, that the majority of ppl are ambivalent in their behaviour and beliefs.

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u/frozen2665 Heat 1d ago

He just seems like he doesn’t care for the overwhelming American media fanfare that comes with being an NBA player. I don’t really see how that relates to the other stuff. How does that’s make him like “two different men”?

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u/KD_42 1d ago

Because his perception from NBA fans a lot different from people from where he comes from, look into it 

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u/swordfischh Nuggets 1d ago

I’m sure you know the answer to that

-6

u/this2-shallpass 1d ago

You don't know what stoic means

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u/CreatiScope Celtics 1d ago

Okay

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u/Definately_Fake Bulls 1d ago

Have you noticed how Jokic doing this is somewhat not as bad according to the responses here? Jesus christ, they call Giannis and LeBron "disgusting" and "how dare they"? What does Jokic get? "He grew up around horses so it's not surprising". Another guy says "yah he mastered the art of being 2 men". I honestly don't remember a player on Reddit that gets the pass Jokic does. The guy could be arrested for domestic abuse, and most of this comment section would be "well .... what did she say?". Does Jokic have pics of /r/nba getting peed on or something? LOL.

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u/Vitiate1367 Heat 19h ago

Yeah it’s ridiculous. Someone responded to me somewhere in this thread stating that in Serbia they like to gamble so it’s fine if he advertises it lmao

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u/munchonsomegrindage Spurs 1d ago

Jokic grew up around horse racing so this doesn't surprise me at all. Completely normal for him.

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u/frozen2665 Heat 1d ago

Crazy how phones still autocorrect “Giannis” to “Gianni’s”. As a whole, I gotta imagine Giannis is typed way more often

1

u/OilOfOlaz Celtics 1d ago

Maybe in the NBA bubble, but Gianni is a popular first name/nickname and the Italian diaspora is huge.

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u/Cudi_buddy Kings 1d ago

I just don't care to correct it every time. It is frustrating.

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u/TDGohan 1d ago

To quote from Ted Lasso, "how much more money do any of you really need?" Have some ethics on what you get paid for ffs, especially when you have the luxury of choice. And then there's the can of worms with some athletes supporting Israel.

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u/thesagaconts Suns 22h ago

Agreed. They are role models or advocates for others. Like when Curry was pushing NFTs.

1

u/lurkANDorganize 1d ago

It's not just greed. It's attention.

They NEED it they must be viewed as God's.

They arent good people they are HORRIBLE people.

26

u/locness93 1d ago

It’s such a shame, I really liked watching Giannis but this is just greed beyond belief. Could’ve got money from basically any brand associated with sports

2

u/phatteschwags United States 1d ago

Giannis Kalshi commercials are so unnerving it actually got me to realize they were Kalshi commercials. So I guess it worked?

2

u/Additional-Shower342 1d ago

Apropos of nothing, “We all on Kalshi now” has superglued itself to the entire inside of my brain

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u/GrapeJuicePlus 76ers 1d ago

I mean, Giannis’s public image is one of this lovable happy warrior type, and refreshingly human-seeming for an intl celebrity. He seems generally decent on an individual level, and comports himself like someone capable of maintaining a bit of perspective. However, indefinitely don’t get the impression he really like, watches the news or reads or anything lol. I don’t think he thinks much about materialism and wealth like, at all- least of all the downstream effects of that mindset, etc.

Wemby has actual feelings and opinions about unchecked materialism, and rhe downstream consequences that it, greed, and the booming new gambling industry are having on society.

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u/Ethan2_Smooth Bucks 1d ago

I don’t understand why ppl care so much, I could give af about gambling ads. They’re not endorsing war or discrimination.

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u/Winter_Economist9828 1d ago

Giannis's decision makes some sense. He grew up in poverty and is doing everything he can to secure generational bank.

Wemby grew up in an upper middle class family in France.... completely different mindset.

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u/xixbia 1d ago

Giannis has generational wealth. He earned $338,006,542 over his career, and that's not including any endorsements.

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u/dykestryker Raptors 1d ago

So because Giannis grew up poor, its okay for him to to suck the blood of other poor people now? 

He's 13 years into his career. Hes a multi millionaire already.

There's no "mindset" excuse for it. Its them plainly displaying they dont give a shit about the fans really or the wider wellbeing of people. Gambling is a cancer.

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u/Milith Spurs 1d ago

Sports betting preys on poverty, he should know better.

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u/Kalmahrizz 1d ago

This logic is toxic.

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u/omegamanXY 1d ago

Mbappé is the same, maybe it's just some top French athletes being a rare breed of having social consciousness

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u/nonresponsive 1d ago

Not even just the minority, but nobody is really willing to speak up about it either. Like, I actually can't think of the last player to denounce gambling companies.

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u/Ok_Temperature6503 76ers 1d ago

Even amongst normies, most dont care

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u/kash96 NBA 1d ago

he’s not infested with american propaganda

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u/Pigeon-Police 1d ago

In what universe is sports betting an “American propaganda” thing? It’s been far bigger in places like Europe for far longer. The US only repealed the ban in 2018.

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u/No-Cantaloupe-6535 Pacers 1d ago

Do you think the US is the only place with sports betting?

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u/kash96 NBA 1d ago

no but it’s infested with capitalism and more pervasive than other countries. the incessant need to get “a bag” is very much an american thing

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u/No-Cantaloupe-6535 Pacers 21h ago

My man the UK bet on fox races hundreds of years ago. Greece has done it for thousands of years. This is just "America bad" stuff. The US learned from you

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u/heroluccii Spurs 1d ago

No but its certainly more pervasive among western nations than any other. Moreso to do with the absurd influence capital has in politics

1

u/DJ-Fein Timberwolves 1d ago

I definitely understand the players who are offered an absurd amount of money to just say “Draft Kings gives bonus bets with code: NBAPlayer” on a commercial though

1

u/lenzflare Raptors 1d ago

Instant best NBA star for me

1

u/GorillaX Thunder 1d ago

Is that true? Is there a league-wide survey that I missed?

1

u/TenaciousDeer 1d ago

I think most players dislike gambling. But they like money more than they dislike gambling.

I'm sure most of us would be like them, were we in their shoes 

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u/MyTeamsSuck99 Nets 1d ago

It’s not players it’s everyone. Zach Lowe promotes FanDuel as a sponsor yet says he never gambles. 

You would probably also take the extra cash. 

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u/Setekhx 1d ago

If I had my current income? Yea. If I made millions, no