Victor Wembanyama said no to gambling money. In today’s NBA, that feels radical

"Absolutely not," Wembanyama said instead . "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."

Standards are so back. It shouldn't feel miraculous that a star of Wembanyama's stature is taking the position that players should not cash checks from predatory companies that incentivize athletes to dabble in insider trading, but in 2026, we'll take any anti-sellout ally we can find. This one may prove particularly valuable. Given his age and fame, Wembanyama should be around as a beacon to cut through the murk of betting for some time to come. How refreshing that, as rightwing terror reigns, the NBA's best and biggest young star is a politically outspoken leftist.

It's not a stylish time to turn down buckets of money. Thanks to some combination of a disintegrating economy, a president and political party so craven and corrupt that scandal-worthy behavior often doesn't register, and a significant overlap among the wealthy and the morally bankrupt, shame died a bloody death somewhere in the last decade. Most basketball podcasts keep themselves afloat with gambling companies' life rings. No reputational damage seems to last. James's Polymarket partnership was immediately and emphatically unpopular, but apparently not enough for anybody at the Philadelphia 76ers' media day to ask him about it.