San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama did not try to hide his discomfort when asked about the recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis tied to federal immigration enforcement operations.
Instead, the 22-year-old made it clear he was speaking from emotion, not a script.
“PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give some politically correct (answer). Every day I wake up and see the news and I’m horrified,” Wembanyama said speaking to reporters on Tuesday. “I think it’s crazy that some people make it seem like, or make it sound like, it’s acceptable, like the murder of civilians (is) acceptable. Every day I read the news and sometimes I’m asking very deep questions about my own life. But, you know, I’m conscious also that saying everything that’s on my mind will have a cost that’s too great for me right now. So I’d rather not go into too many details.”
The French phenom was referring to the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two U.S. citizens who were killed during separate federal ICE operations in Minnesota.
Victor Wembanyama’s full comments today on the shooting of another civilian by federal agents in Minneapolis:
“PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give some politcally correct [answer]. Every day I see the news and I’m horrified. I think it’s crazy that some people… pic.twitter.com/YpkUbP1E6D
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) January 27, 2026
When asked if his hesitation was influenced by the fact that he is not American, Wembanyama did not hesitate.
“For sure,” he said.
Wembanyama is the latest NBA player to speak out following Pretti’s death on Saturday, an incident that led to the postponement of the Timberwolves’ matchup with the Golden State Warriors.
Since then, Stephen Curry, Steve Kerr, Tyrese Haliburton, Donovan Mitchell, Karl-Anthony Towns, and several others have publicly condemned the shooting.
Wembanyama echoed those concerns while acknowledging the complicated position he occupies as a foreign star living in the United States.
“It’s terrible. I know I’m a foreigner, and I live in this country, and I’m concerned,” he said.
