Victor Wembanyama Delivered Cold-Blooded Quote About His NBA Future

Victor Wembanyama led the San Antonio Spurs to the NBA Finals in just his third NBA season, winning unanimous Western Conference Finals MVP honors after a seven-game series victory over the reigning-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

It’s fair to say that the 7-foot-4 Frenchman has taken over as the face of the NBA - a fact he himself predicted.

In a meeting with Nike executives before his 2025-26 season, Wembanyama delivered a cold-blooded quote about his NBA future.

"I'm not gonna give basketball a choice of who the face is going to be,” Wembanyama said, according to a person present at the meeting.

This quote surfaced in a piece published by NBA insider Jared Weiss of The Athletic, just hours before Wembanyama takes the court fro Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks.

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Wembanyama finished third in MVP voting this past season, trailing only back-to-back reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time MVP winner Nikola Jokic. He was awarded Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first player in league history to win the trophy unanimously.

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Wembanyama finished Game 1 of the NBA Finals with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but struggled with his shooting efficiency. He shot 6/21 from the field and 2/9 from behind the 3-point arc in the 105-95 loss at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center.

Game 2 of the NBA Finals will tipoff at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday.

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 11:43 AM.