San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama speaks to reporters. Credit: Meradith Garcia

With the San Antonio Spurs preparing for their first second-round playoff appearance since 2017, star player Victor Wembanyama isn’t yielding to online critics who have called him out for being “too emotional.”

Last week, French sports reporter Maxime Aubin asked Wemby what he thought about Internet trolls tweaking him for being “too emotional” or “gay” for expressing himself on and off the court.

“That’s a tough question,” Wembanyama responded. “I think it’s, first and foremost, a fear of judgment. Like this feeling that you have to act a certain way — social codes, I guess. Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions.”

Indeed, the 22-year-old French phenom hasn’t been afraid to show how he feels, notably crying after a comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers in March, and, more recently, tearing up following Game 5 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

The San Antonio Spurs will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves at 8:30 p.m. at the Frost Bank Center. Resale tickets via Ticketmaster start at $134. Those at home can stream the game on Peacock.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...