Wembanyama goes against Spurs advice on ICE actions

The situation in the United States is becoming increasingly fraught, with tensions continuing to rise, driven in part by a government trajectory encouraged by Donald Trump that has enabled events like these to unfold. A protest in Minnesota against ICE led to the killing of a 37-year-old man by a member of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Because it occurred south of the Target Center, barely two miles away, the game that was due to pit the local franchise against the Warriors was postponed as a precaution and played a few days later in a hostile atmosphere.

Minnesota has since sunk into a bleak, oppressive and violent climate that has persisted for several weeks because of the heavy presence of ICE agents, the shadowy federal body tasked with enforcing the anti-immigration policies of President Donald Trump, operating street by street and house by house. Their work is carried out without restraint, without weighing individual circumstances or context, and has on several occasions turned violent – all while operating with sweeping authority to act against the population with impunity.

Against this backdrop, the detention of Liam Conejo Ramos by the agency went viral worldwide. The image of the terrified five-year-old boy in a blue cap broke hearts across the United States and beyond. The incident came days after Renee Good was shot dead by a federal agent and before yet another fatal shooting – that of Alex Pretti – during demonstrations, some held in temperatures as low as 14°F, on the streets of Minnesota against the presence of immigration officers. ICE responded by killing protesters, in an episode that, sadly, is not isolated in a country where such things happen far more often than they should.

Wembanyama speaks out

Beyond the tragedies themselves and the NBA’s muted response, attention has shifted to the players, the very figures that allow the league to present itself as progressive and youth-driven. For now, and despite a handful of statements, that commitment appears limited. In fact, there has been far more willingness to take a stand in the WNBA, where Breanna Stewart has spoken about how distressing the situation is and how the presence of ICE affects her wife, the Spaniard Marta Xargay, when it comes to obtaining US citizenship.

One who has spoken out is Victor Wembanyama, even against the advice of his own team, the Spurs, who asked him to remain silent. “They’ve tried to get me not to say anything, but I can’t just stay quiet and listen,” he said. “Every day I wake up, I see the news and I’m horrified. I think it’s crazy.” He added: “I think it’s crazy that some people make it sound like the murder of civilians is acceptable.

“I read the news and sometimes I ask myself very deep questions about my own life. I’m aware of that too… Saying everything you know… that’s on my mind, because it’s too big for me right now. There could be repercussions, of course. It’s terrible. You know, I’m a foreigner but I live in this country and I’m definitely worried.”

Steve Kerr, the Warriors’ head coach; Isaiah Thomas, an NBA legend and two-time champion; Charles Barkley, another league icon; and Tyrese Haliburton, the injured Pacers star, have all commented on the issue. But many other voices are conspicuously absent, including LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – figures who could publicly denounce just how dire the political and social climate in the United States has become. One who did step forward, despite being advised not to, was Victor Wembanyama, who is not only becoming a reference point on the court, but increasingly off it as well.

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