'Victor The Villain'? How'd Spurs' Wembanyama Turn Into Cartoon Bad Guy?

The San Antonio Spurs enter the 2026-27 season as an NBA title favorite, so when Victor Wembanyama says that labeling him a "villain'' is a "sign of respect''?

I get it. At 7-4, he's the biggest'' ... but is he really also the "baddest''?

"I take (the villain label) as a great sign, a great sign of respect as well," Wembanyama said. "I think it's all, for the majority of it, it's all fair sport. Fans will love you if you're on their team, and hate if you're not. It's just the way (it is). People experience their own competitiveness. It's normal. I don't have (anything) against it.

"I don't feel any sort of way against it."

Well, I do.

If we're talking about "The Good Guys vs. The Bad Guys'' in a sort of cartoonish way? Wemby is right; the "white hats'' are my team and the "black hats'' are the "enemy.''

But we are going way too far by making "Victor The Villain'' try to mean something more than just in that fun "sports-hate'' sort of way.

Consider ESPN's recent opinions on Wembanyama, in part stemming from the Spurs' star elbowing the Timberwolves' Naz Reid during a playoff game.

"You can't hit a guy in the throat. I don't care if it's in October, and you sure as bleep can't do it in the playoffs. You can't do it," said Brian Windhorst.

"And then take zero accountability (for that) crap," added fellow ESPN journalist Tim MacMahon on the podcast.

This is another log on the fire triggered in part by the New York Knicks (and their fans and their media) portraying Wemby as "the bad guy.''

The Knicks won the series; they've earned the right to crow.

And in fairness, the proclamation from another writer, Michael C. Wright, that Wemby is going radio silent with the media isn't winning the fabulous Frenchman any favors.

"I'm hearing that Victor does not want to talk about what happened in the finals," said Wright. "I'm hearing like he's locked in. As a matter of fact, I was told he's not even talking to any American media outlets except for 60 Minutes."

Maybe most of all, the idea of "Victor the Villain'' having legs comes from Wembanyama himself. ... as he's not exactly running away from the idea.

"I think it's, I don't know the word, but it's like, it feels like going through something of great magnitude. It feels like destiny (for) anybody. We're fighting for the top spot of the mountain," Wembanyama said. "We're gonna have to move people in our way. That's just the way it is.''

That's fine. But some are conflating those facts into a conclusion that paints the 22-year-old MVP candidate as a jerk or a thug. ...

When what he really is is a young player who - in addition to putting up terrific numbers as he averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 3.1 blocks per game last year - is simply finding his way.

The Wemby that the NBA world is getting to know is no thug. He's no jerk. What he is is quite bright ... and therefore, if he's embracing the "Victor the Villain'' tag?

He's doing it because he thinks it'll be a tool that will help his Spurs to an NBA title.