'Horrified' Victor Wembanyama Reacts to Minneapolis ICE Shootings

SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama said he was "horrified" after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents shot and killed multiple people in Minneapolis this month, voicing his concerns about speaking out as a foreigner in the United States.

“PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and be politically correct,” the 22-year-old Frenchman told reporters at shootaround Tuesday morning. "Every day I wake up and see the news, and I’m horrified. I think that it's crazy that some people might make it seem like, or make it sound like it’s acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable."

The San Antonio Spurs' big man has seldom been afraid to speak his mind, but admitted he felt the need to hold back some of his thoughts on this particular issue.

“Sometimes I'm asking very deep questions about my own life," he said, "but I'm conscious also that saying everything that's on my mind would have a cost that's too great for me right now, so I'd rather not get into too many details.”

Victor Wembanyama weighs in on Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/AgCuvlcc7M
— Don Harris (@DonHarris4) January 27, 2026

Reporters asked Wembanyama about the fear of repercussions for speaking out against an injustice. He didn't hesitate to acknowledge his situation.

“For sure," he answered, adding that being a French native furthered his hesitancy. "It’s terrible. I’m a foreigner, I live in this country, and I am concerned."

Federal agents ramping up immigration enforcement in Minneapolis shot and killed 37-year-old poet Renee Good on Jan.7 and 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. The killings led to widespread protests and calls for accountability as the Trump administration sided with the agents.

The scheduled contest between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves was postponed the day agents killed Pretti; the National Basketball Players Association released a statement after his death, encouraging players to speak out.

"NBA players can no longer remain silent," part of the statement read. "Now more than ever, we must defend the right to freedom of speech and stand in solidarity with the people in Minnesota protesting and risking their lives to demand justice."

Statement from the NBPA and its Executive Committee on the Fatal Shooting in Minneapolis by ICE.

“There comes a time when silence is betrayal” -MLK pic.twitter.com/ka6CjhfHBb
— NBPA (@TheNBPA) January 25, 2026

NBPA vice president Jaylen Brown spoke on the organization's statement Tuesday, adding that players are demanding accountability. Spurs forward Julian Champagnie echoed that sentiment in the locker room prior to facing the New Orleans Pelicans.

"I don't think that people should be dying," Champagnie told the San Antonio Express-News. "I stand with those people. That's really all I have to say about it. It's just a tough situation all around, but I think the violence is the main thing that has to stop."

Wembanyama's comments came after Spurs coach Mitch Johnson addressed the matter during a pregame press conference a day prior. At the time, the team hadn't collectively discussed the shootings, but the coach emphasized the importance of empathy and care in moments shaped by violence.

“Anytime violence occurs," Johnson explained, "or aggressive interaction that may be unnecessary, unwarranted, unprovoked or unwanted on either side of two people or two groups of people, it’s unfortunate.

"I'm really sad to see (it), and obviously praying for everybody up there and all around."