Victor Wembanyama refused to go on stage at Drake concert because his teammates weren’t invited
Even early in his rookie season, Wembanyama was more focused on his teammates than fame and attention.
Victor Wembanyama didn’t just have a fantastic rookie season on the floor but also off it. The rookie dazzled with his play but got as many compliments for his maturity as he did for his highlights. Wemby is a calm, confident guy who seems to also be a natural leader.
There have been several anecdotes that paint Victor as not only a special player but also a special person, and a new one dropped recently. In the “7 p.m. In Brooklyn With Kid Mero and Carmelo Anthony” podcast, JJ Redick told a story about Wembanyama refusing to jump on stage with Drake because his teammates weren’t invited.
The entire video deserves a watch, but the section that starts at 2:45 is the most interesting part, when Redick tells the anecdote:
“The stories I heard from the Spurs’ camp. Like, even early in the season where he was getting asked — there was a Drake concert in Austin and he got asked to come up on stage, ’cause Drake was doing that with a bunch of NBA guys this offseason. And Wemby was like ‘Can my teammates come up on stage with me? Because they are going to be at the concert with me.’ And Drake’s camp was like ´No.’ And he was like ´Then I don’t want to do it.’ What 19-year-old kid doesn’t want to go up on stage with Drake? There have been anomalies among star players in that they have been low maintenance — I was a role player and I would describe myself as somewhat low maintenance. There’s like, Steph (Curry) and there’s, like, Tim Duncan. Wemby is one of those guys.”
It’s a fun little story that shows how much Wemby cares about his peers. It’s also interesting because the concert Redick mentions likely happened in September when Wemby barely knew his teammates. If the anecdote is true — and there’s no reason to doubt Redick, who interviewed Wemby before the season and clearly has connections in the NBA — it shows just how aware Wembanyama was of how his actions would be perceived even before stepping into an NBA court.
Wemby has done a fantastic job of becoming the face of a franchise and one of the faces of the league in a short time, showing emotions and candor while also avoiding drama and conflict. If he continues to be as steady off the floor as he’s been on it, he’ll earn his place next to the superstars that Redick mentions and will make Spurs fans happy for years to come.
