Victor Wembanyama said on Tuesday that he was “horrified” by the recent violence in Minneapolis, where federal agents shot and killed a man during immigration crackdowns over the weekend.
“PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give some politically correct (answer), you know?” Wenbanyama said to reporters when asked about a statement the NBA Players Association issued after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti. “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 or make it sound like it’s acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable.”
Pretti’s death on Saturday came less than three weeks after agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis shot and killed a woman, 37-year-old Renee Good. Both Pretti and Good were American citizens.
Wembanyama, who was born and raised in France, said that seeing the news about the shootings has caused him to ask deeper questions about his own life, but he was hesitant to elaborate any further.
“I’m conscious, also, that saying everything that’s on my mind would have a cost that’s too great for me right now,” Wembanyama said. “I’d rather not get into too many details.”
The union issued its statement on Sunday, saying “NBA players can no longer remain silent.”
“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, the union said. “The fraternity of NBA players, like the United States itself, is a community enriched by its global citizens, and we refuse to let the flames of division threaten the civil liberties that are meant to protect us all.”
Victor Wembanyama weighs in on Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/AgCuvlcc7M
— Don Harris (@DonHarris4) January 27, 2026
Wembanyama has not been afraid to speak his mind on a variety of issues in the sporting world. When asked whether he fears repercussions for speaking out, he said he recognized that being from another country could make him vulnerable.
“Sure. I mean, it’s terrible. I know I’m a foreigner. I live in this country, and I am concerned, for sure,” he said.
Wembanyama is not the only French NBA player to have been vocal about the shootings in Minneapolis. New York Knicks big man Guerschon Yabusele posted to social media Monday that he could not stop thinking about the “tragic events unfolding in Minnesota.”
“Even though I’m French, I can’t remain silent,” Yabusele posted on X. “What’s happening is beyond comprehension. We’re talking about murders here, these are serious matters. The situation must change, the government must stop operating in this way. I stand with Minnesota.”
When asked about his friend Yabusele’s post, Wembanyama said he was proud of his French national teammate.
“I think it definitely takes some balls,” Wembanyama said. “You might have some price right now. Each and every one of us has to decide the price we are willing to pay.”
Athletes and coaches throughout the sports world have continued to react in the days following Pretti’s killing. Federal agents have shot three people over the past three weeks as the Trump administration has escalated immigration enforcement in Minnesota: Good, a Venezuelan man who has not been identified, and Pretti.
On Saturday, Pretti, a Veterans Affairs hospital nurse, was shot and killed while restrained by federal agents.
Indiana Pacers All-Star Tyrese Haliburton posted on X on Saturday, “Alex Pretti was murdered.”
On Sunday, when asked for his thoughts on the NBPA’s statement, Wembanyama’s teammate, De’Aaron Fox, gave a detailed example of why he felt an investigation was warranted.
“We have a stand your ground law here (in Texas), right?” Fox said. “I don’t know how many of y’all own guns. I own guns. We all know KJ (Keldon Johnson) owns guns, but imagine someone breaks into your house and you shoot ’em in the back, right? Probably neutralized. Then you’re like, oh, f— it, let’s empty the entire clip. Probably be charged. … So it’s a bit crazy, right? I’d be charged if I shot someone in the back, they fall, and then even if it’s in my house, even if I’m protecting my property and then I decide I want to empty the entire clip at him. That’s where you get to excessive force and all these other things.”
The Trump administration has been critical of local government officials in Minnesota and those officials have voiced outrage over the immigration crackdowns and the actions of federal agents. On Monday, President Donald Trump posted on social media that he had “a very good call” with Tim Walz, Minnesota’s Democratic governor, and that the two seemed “to be on a similar wavelength.”
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