San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama ruled out ever promoting a sports betting company Thursday, and he called it sad that some NBA players take those deals while LeBron James collects $15 million a year from Polymarket.
After Day 3 of training camp, San Antonio Express-News reporter Mike Finger asked the 22-year-old if he’d ever sign a betting deal. “Absolutely not. I will never do that,” Wembanyama said.
The Frenchman then addressed players who sign those deals. “Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it, in my opinion,” he said. “Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.”
Wembanyama explains his endorsement rules
Wembanyama said money once shaped his brand choices, but now he wants partners that match his values.
“There was a dimension of money in the past, but not anymore,” he said. “I’ve refused much, much more money than I’ve made for things that were not to my values.”
“Obviously, we earn millions and millions, this is not our biggest strength,” Wembanyama added. “Our biggest strength is inspiring, and we can inspire in a good or a bad way. I want to inspire in a good way.”
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year signed a five-year, $252 million rookie max extension with the Spurs. He also led San Antonio to the NBA Finals in June, where the New York Knicks won the series 4-1.
Which NBA stars promote sports betting?
Wembanyama didn’t name anyone or specifically condemn any other athletes for their work with sports betting. James, 41, signed on as an endorser rather than an investor, and his Polymarket work centers on football, not basketball.
The $15 million yearly payout is nearly four times the roughly $3.9 million he’ll earn this season on a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. James previously endorsed DraftKings.
Kevin Durant is also a FanDuel brand ambassador, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is a shareholder and marketing partner with prediction market Kalshi.
League rules allow these deals with limits. The NBA’s collective bargaining agreement treats sportsbooks and prediction markets the same, and it bars players from promoting betting on NBA markets.
Gambling has also hit the league in court. In October 2025, federal prosecutors charged Terry Rozier, then a Miami Heat guard, and Chauncey Billups, then Portland’s head coach, in separate gambling cases. Rozier has pleaded not guilty.
Wembanyama’s agent on Coca-Cola deals
Wembanyama took a similar stance on soda. In June, before Game 2 of the Finals, agent Jeremy Medjana said the former Metropolitans 92 star has turned down millions from soda companies.
“We’re not gonna mix his image with sodas like Coca-Cola,” Medjana said. “They all want him, but Victor will never sell soda. Because he doesn’t want to kill the kids.”
Medjana has represented Wembanyama since he was 13. Before the NBA, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft passed on those offers while living on a French club salary of about $150,000.
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