Inside The Spurs

Victor Wembanyama Breaks Silence on Controversial Plan

San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama spoke about his controversial NBA All-Star Skills Challenge plan
Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Team Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs competes in the skills challenge during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
Feb 15, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Team Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs competes in the skills challenge during All Star Saturday Night ahead of the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

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In less than two seasons, Victor Wembanyama has already become one of the most beloved players in the NBA by fans.

However, the 21-year-old phenom made his first NBA blemish during All-Star weekend.

On Saturday night during the NBA All-Star's Skills Challenge, Wembanyama attempted to hack the contest by choosing to deliberately miss shots to increase his overall speed.

It was a decision that was met with heavy boos from fans in the arena and a massive outrage online.

Even though fans booed Wembanyama and Chris Paul during the moment, the 21-year-old didn't take it too seriously.

"Was I booed," Wembanyama questioned. "I don't think I was booed. I wasn't booed, right? Chris was."

While everyone thought the decision may have been Paul's idea, it turns out that Wembanyama admitted to it being his plan.

“It was a good strategy, but I don't know," Wembanyama said. "It's just not that big a deal.”

On the surface, it may seem like Wembanyama's strategy is relatively harmless. It's a fun idea to figure out a way to game the system and see if it works. At the same time, the NBA is seriously struggling to get both fans and players to take the All-Star game seriously, and this moment was the exact opposite of that.

Hopefully, Wembanyama can give fans a much better show on Sunday night, during the main All-Star game show.

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Farbod Esnaashari
FARBOD ESNAASHARI

14-Year NBA Veteran covering multiple teams on Sports Illustrated. Throughout the years, Farbod has been featured on ESPN, Bleacher Report, Forbes, and various live television outlets.

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