Victor Wembanyama on 60 Minutes: Spurs star explains why 'villain' label didn't bother him during NBA Finals

The full 60 Minutes interview with Wembanyama will air this Sunday (Nov. 1) on CBS Victor Wembanyama's 2025-26 season -- his third in the NBA-- affirmed his status as the league's next megastar. Wembanyama led the Spurs to the 2026 NBA Finals before they lost to the Knicks in five games, and he earned the first of what figures to be many Defensive Player of the Year awards and All-NBA honors. Wembanyama has entered the 2026-27 season with sky-high expectations. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman is the favorite to win NBA MVP honors, and the Spurs are the favorites to win the 2027 championship. For the better part of his first three years in the league, Wembanyama was a beloved figure, doing things no one else could do on the court to create jaw-dropping highlights that got passed around social media and group texts. However, as the Spurs moved through the postseason, some of the love from fans started to get lost. There were moments that started to earn him a "dirty" label, including when Wembanyama clocked Naz Reid with an elbow in the second round of the playoffs against the Timberwolves. Wembanyama then irked Knicks players (and their fans) when he shoved New York starJalen Brunson in the NBA Finals. Once viewed as a conquering hero, Wembanyama became a villain, particularly in New York.