Victor Wembanyama refuses to hide his emotions after Game 5 win vs. Trail Blazers
After the Spurs beat the Trail Blazers to advance to the second round, Victor Wembanyama got emotional on the court, and he’s not ashamed to show it.
It’s 2026 and we are no longer shaming men for having and showing emotions. And San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is advocating for that.
“I refuse to carry that burden”
After an emotional Game 5 win against the Portland Trail Blazers to advance the Spurs onto the second round of the NBA playoffs, Wembanyama didn’t hide his emotions, which is par for the course with him.
Last month, when the Spurs pulled off a comeback win against the Los Angeles Clippers, Wemby cried on the court. After the game, he told ESPN reporter Angel Gray that he played one of the hardest games of his life that night.
Wembanyama is confident, not only in his game, but in himself. So when asked by reporter Maxime Aubin of the French outlet L’Équipe what his response was to the fans who criticize him for showing emotions, he stood his ground and responded with a perfect explanation both for why people treat emotions as weaknesses, and why he refuses to do so.
“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.”
Until 2019, the Spurs had never gone more than two seasons without making the playoffs. Since then, they‘d been in a drought. That is, until this season, when Wembanyama helped lead them to their first postseason in six years.
The Spurs will go on to face the winner of the series between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The T-Wolves currently lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 taking place tonight in Minneapolis.
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