Victor Wembanyama will cry when and where he wants, thank you very much.
The San Antonio Spurs has mostly received attention for the otherworldly stuff he does on the basketball court, but some have noticed his comfort with showing emotion after major breakthroughs. That was most notable when he started crying last month after a comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
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There was also a moment on Tuesday, when the Spurs defeated the Portland Trail Blazers to clinch a five-game win in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Wembanyama was clearly emotional embracing teammates on the bench at the end of the game.
One day later, Maxime Aubin of French outlet L’Équipe asked Wembanyama about some of the fans who have criticized or mocked him for his tears. His response was quite healthy:
“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.”
Wembanyama had previously addressed his moment on the bench Tuesday after the game, explaining his reaction:
“It feels like a step passed, step 1 done. I’m personally happy to see things are moving forward in the right direction.”
It’s hard to imagine any people on the Spurs’ side having a problem with how their superstar is reacting to their current run of success.
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This season is the Spurs’ first playoff run since 2019, ending a six-season drought for a franchise that had previously never gone more than two seasons without reaching the postseason. Their first round had a bit of drama due to Wembanyama’s concussion in Game 2, but San Antonio won his lone game missed and wound up winning the series on its home court.
The Spurs now have the second-best title odds among all NBA teams at +425 at BetMGM, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder (-120). They will face the winner of the series between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves — in which the short-handed T-wolves lead 3-2 — in the Western Conference semifinals.
