Hold up, everyone talking about Victor Wembanyama shutting out American media? Yeah, that viral clip from the Hoop Collective podcast? It got the story twisted, big time. Turns out, the 22-year-old star who made a run to the NBA Finals last year isn’t going totally dark on the press, but he definitely wants to control the narrative around that tough Finals loss.
What Michael C. Wright *Actually* Said
The whole thing blew up after a clip from Tuesday’s Hoop Collective podcast started making rounds. ESPN writer Michael C. Wright was on there, and he basically implied Wemby would be super selective with media access this year, especially when it came to the Finals. Wright’s exact words, or at least the part that everybody clipped, were, “I’m hearing that Victor does not want to talk about what happened in the Finals. I’m hearing he’s like, locked in. He’s locked in. As a matter of fact, I was told that he hasn’t even, he’s not talking to any American media outlets except for 60 Minutes.” Naturally, that quote went nuclear, spawning headlines everywhere about Wemby “freezing out all U.S. media outlets except 1.” And honestly? The clip *sounded* exactly like that was happening. It made sense why folks ran with it.
The Real Story That Didn’t Go Viral
But here’s the kicker, and the part that didn’t get nearly as much play: just a few minutes later in that same podcast, Brian Windhorst followed up, asking Wright if Wemby intended to shut out media at the Spurs’ upcoming media day. Wright’s response was crucial for context. He said, “I think he is, he has no choice. But I’m saying up to this point, he’s totally locked in. He does not want to talk about the Finals. He’s only talking to 60 Minutes, apparently.” The kicker? That podcast was recorded *before* Spurs Media Day, which happened on September 28. By the time the podcast even aired, Wemby had already spoken to reporters in several media scrums. Wright later clarified his point on social media, too. So, the bottom line is, Wemby isn’t shutting out American media for the season. He *was* super selective during the offseason, choosing *60 Minutes* to address the Finals loss, and now he just wants to move forward. It’s a bit of a bummer for reporters who want the scoop, but it’s not uncommon. Players often drop an “I already addressed that” and move on.
We’ll have to see just how much Wemby revealed in that *60 Minutes* interview whenever it runs. Reporters will definitely still try to get him to talk about last season’s Finals, but don’t expect him to be thrilled about answering. This 22-year-old is poised for a big season, ready to build on that Finals run and really start shaping his legacy, and that’s where his focus is locked.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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