Wembanyama Thinks He Has More Haters in His Home Country Than in US

There’s no such thing as a 100% approval rating for NBA stars. Even guys like Nikola Jokic, who have no controversies or reasonable reasons to hate on, have critics. The reality is, if you are a great NBA player, there will be haters. The only question is whether you have more haters than fans. 

Victor Wembanyama is one of the few players that people have little reason to hate. He’s a freak of nature that has a body and skillset that have never been seen in the league before. On top of that, he is bright, charismatic, and is focused on the right things. 

In the US, there are very few NBA fans who hate on Wembanyama. Until his team defeats theirs in a playoff series or NBA championship, what could Wembanyama have done wrong? Wembanayama was recently asked about his haters, and his answer was quite interesting. 

“A lot of them say he’s amazing, he’s French, and they’re proud of him. But there are also a lot of people in France who still say, ‘This guy has done nothing in basketball. Where is this hype coming from? He hasn’t won anything’… So there are French haters. There are haters in France, basically. A lot. I actually think there are even more in France than in the U.S.”

Wembanyama helped France grab the silver medal in the 2024 Paris Olympics. He even helped the team be just a few possessions away from defeating the USA and making international basketball history. 

So sure, maybe Wembanyama hasn’t won much yet in the NBA, but French fans need to recognize that winning the silver medal is no easy feat. Without Wembanyama, they may not have had an opportunity to win gold on their home floor. For that, the Wembanayma haters should quiet down.