Wemby Won't Endorse Soda Brand: "He Doesn’t Want To Kill The Kids”

As Victor Wembanyama works toward his childhood dream of winning an NBA title, there’s one thing he won’t be doing.

He won’t be lending his name, image or likeness to anything that he doesn’t personally align with. One of his agents, Jeremy Medjana, co-founder of Agence Comsport, says the 7’4 NBA prodigy has left “millions” on the table from brands who want him to endorse their products.

Right now, Wemby has deals with Nike, Louis Vuitton, Fanatics, Barcode and H-E-B, a Texas-based grocery chain that the San Antonio Spurs players have historically done business with. His agents say that they are carefully pursuing further deals to protect both his image and his commitment to his day job.

“The philosophy is, we don’t want him to be too distracted. We want him to stay focused, and this is why he did not sign too many deals,” Medjana told The Athletic. “If you sign too many deals, then you cannot stay focused on the main goal to be better, to get rest, to get treatment.”

As Jalen Hurts would say, Wembanyama is about keeping the main thing, the main thing.

As someone who has made it clear throughout his NBA Finals run that he’s focused entirely on a championship trophy, it’s also clear that Wemby won’t endorse anything he’s not comfortable with. Apparently, that includes sugary sports drinks and sodas despite the history of athletes and entertainers signing on with those brands.

While many players move the league-sponsored Gatorade bottles from the podium in post-game interviews, Wembanyama was particularly adamant about making sure the drink wasn’t in the camera shot. He moved two bottles out of sight at a press conference last year, saying “Hell, no – who put that there?”

His agents say that’s not by accident. Athletes endorse soda and fast food because companies are willing to write huge checks for them to do so. But it’s always been an odd fit, as superstar athletes have a team of people helping them achieve optimum health and fitness, something a diet of fast food and sodas would likely derail.

Aside from the check, a global brand partnership can positively impact and expand an athlete’s reach beyond sports, as in the case of the classic Coke commercial with Pittsburgh Steeler Mean Joe Greene. Or, more infamously, the Pepsi-Cola commercial with Michael Jackson, one of the most widely known commercials ever made.

But Wemby’s reps are adamant that sugary drinks won’t ever be part of his brand.

“We’re not gonna mix his image with sodas like Coca-Cola,” Medjana said. “They all want him, but Victor will never sell soda. Because he doesn’t want to kill the kids.”

What Wembanyama does want is to become one of the all-time greats, something that has been reinforced by his response to his struggles so far in the NBA Finals. He recognizes that, beyond advertising, being known as one of the all-time greats can bring him both personal and financial rewards. And he relishes the chance to be not just an influencer, but someone who reshapes the culture.

“My experience with players like Michael and Magic and Kobe and LeBron, in addition to having that desire to be great, they have to be comfortable with that platform as well, and they have to want it.… I think he relishes the opportunity to be one of those historical figures,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver told The Athletic. “He is a very sophisticated person in that I think he has a sense that he can use basketball to achieve great good in society.”

See social media’s reaction to Wemby’s decision below.