“Nothing to Do With Me”: Kevin Durant Reacts to Victor Wembanyama’s Comments on Gambling Promotion

Kevin Durant has had a FanDuel partnership since 2022, one of the longer-running sports betting endorsements in the NBA. It was built through his Boardroom media company that year, before he signed a personal deal with FanDuel in 2024, well before betting money became as widespread across the league as it is now. That history put him in an awkward spot this week, after a younger star made a very public case that deals like his shouldn't exist at all.

Victor Wembanyama drew a hard line on sports betting endorsements after a San Antonio Spurs training camp practice this week. Asked by a reporter whether he would ever sign with a betting company, the 22-year-old didn't hesitate.

"Absolutely not. I will never do that," Wembanyama said. "Honestly, I think it's very sad to see some players promote it, in my opinion. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me."

Durant, who was asked about Wembanyama's comments directly, declined to engage with the criticism.

"That's Wemby, he's going to do what he does. That has nothing to do with me," Durant said in an interview clip shared by Varun Shankar on X. "I don't really think about that question at all. That's not on my mind as much as his. People gonna do what they want to do."

Wembanyama didn't name Kevin Durant or anyone else directly, but the context made his targets clear. James, the latest to join the sports betting partnership train, reportedly earns $15 million a year from a prediction-market deal with Polymarket, and Durant has been a FanDuel brand ambassador for several years. Giannis Antetokounmpo also holds a stake in and marketing partnership with Kalshi.

Wembanyama's comments landed just weeks after the players' union, alongside unions from the NFL, MLB, NHL and MLS, sent a joint letter to gambling regulators in 35 states raising concerns about the impact of sports betting, and how sports bettors who harass players, coaches, and their familes should be permanently banned.

Wembanyama has been consistent about turning down money that doesn't match his values. According to his agent, he's previously rejected deals with companies like Coca-Cola over concerns about marketing unhealthy products to children, even when those offers outpaced what he ultimately signed elsewhere.

His current endorsement list includes Nike, Louis Vuitton, 2K Sports, Fanatics, Barcode and H-E-B, which seemingly align with his desire to "inspire in a good way" rather than chase every available dollar.

That context is what separates this from an ordinary player taking a shot at other stars. Wembanyama, a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year who led San Antonio to the 2026 NBA Finals, has the market standing to turn away gambling money without it costing him relevance.

Durant's response treated the comments as background noise rather than a real challenge. But Wembanyama's position, delivered without naming names, still put a spotlight on a part of the modern NBA's business that most stars have simply accepted as normal.