Victor Wembanyama defends tears on the court amid first career Spurs playoff run
"Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions.”
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 .
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.