Do we like them?Do we like Victor Wembanyama?
Our score: 7 out of 10. A clean harm record and real kindness, held back only because the record on LGBTQ+ and women's issues is thin, not because of anything bad.
Wemby is the French centre the Spurs have built everything around, and 2026 was the year it nearly paid off. San Antonio made the NBA Finals, then lost to the Knicks 4-1 after leading by double digits in every game. He called it “the biggest lesson of my life” and said he'd use the pain as fuel.
The loudest stoush was about the national anthem. ABC and ESPN cameras showed him standing with his arms crossed before Game 1, and some fans called it disrespectful while others pointed out he's French. His coach shrugged it off and said plenty of players aren't on the floor for the anthem, and Wemby hasn't explained it, so nobody can say what it meant.
On the harm check, nothing nasty turned up. In January he said he was “horrified” by the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, and he said he'd been advised to stay politically correct but wouldn't. He also admitted that speaking out as a foreigner in the US carried a cost. Nothing from him on trans people or women came up, so that's a gap in the record. There's no sign of dodgy company either.
The recent bit is a values call: he said betting-site endorsements don't sit right with him, and that he finds it sad to see some players promote them. Reports also say he's turned down sugary-drink deals. It's easy to say no when you're on a fresh Nike deal, but it's still the right call.
The good stuff is real. After the Finals loss he and teammate Julian Champagnie spent several hours at a San Antonio children's hospital, and a local family said they were treated like family. He also helped open free basketball courts for kids in his home country, and said he'd wished for one as a youngster.
So: a bloke who copped a rough few months and kept his head. Pass on harm, pass on nice, with the fair caveat that we know little about his views on LGBTQ+ issues. He's easy to cheer for.