By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-01-27 13:08:42
圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋维克托·文班亚马 (1) 在2025年12月29日星期一于圣安东尼奥弗罗斯特银行中心举行的一场NBA比赛下半场对阵克利夫兰骑士队。马刺以101-113不敌骑士。
马刺队球星维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 不顾其团队希望他言论保持“政治正确”的努力，就联邦探员近期在明尼苏达州枪杀两名居民的事件予以强烈谴责。
“你知道，公关团队试过了，但我不会坐在这里给出一个政治正确的（答案），”文班亚马说。“我每天醒来看新闻都感到震惊。我觉得有些人把这说得好像可以接受一样，这太疯狂了，好像谋杀平民是可以接受的。”
周二训练结束后，一名记者询问文班亚马对明尼阿波利斯紧张局势的看法。该NBA城市在周六失去了37岁的亚历克斯·普雷蒂 (Alex Pretti)，他是明尼阿波利斯退伍军人事务部医疗保健系统的一名ICU护士；1月7日，37岁的三个孩子的母亲蕾妮·古德 (Renee Good) 也不幸遇难。
2026年1月19日星期一，在圣安东尼奥举行的一场对阵犹他爵士队的NBA篮球赛前，圣安东尼奥马刺队前锋维克托·文班亚马身穿一件纪念马丁·路德·金日的T恤。(美联社图片/Eric Gay)
尽管马刺队教练米奇·约翰逊 (Mitch Johnson) 和其他一些马刺球员在周日输给新奥尔良鹈鹕队后接受媒体采访时谈及了这些枪杀事件，但队内没有人像文班亚马这样措辞激烈地评论明尼阿波利斯的局势。
在文班亚马发表评论的前一天，另一位法国球员，30岁的纽约尼克斯队前锋盖尔雄·亚布塞莱 (Guerschon Yabusele) 也公开发声。
“我无法停止思考在明尼苏达发生的悲剧事件，尽管我是法国人，但我不能保持沉默，”亚布塞莱在X（前身为推特）上说。“正在发生的事情超乎想象。我们谈论的是谋杀，这是非常严重的事情。情况必须改变，政府必须停止以这种方式行事。我与明尼苏达同在。”
在周日发布的一份声明中，包括多位联盟球星在内的国家篮球运动员协会（NBPA）及其执行委员会也对示威者表示支持。
2026年1月25日星期日，在明尼阿波利斯，一个临时搭建的纪念碑被放置在亚历克斯·普雷蒂昨天被一名美国边境巡逻队官员开枪打死的地方。(美联社图片/Adam Gray)
“在明尼阿波利斯——这座一直处于反抗不公斗争前沿的城市——再次传来致命枪击案的消息后，NBA球员不能再保持沉默，”球员工会表示。“现在，我们比以往任何时候都更需要捍卫言论自由的权利，并与明尼苏达州的人民站在一起，他们正在抗议并冒着生命危险要求正义。”
“NBA球员大家庭，就像美国本身一样，是一个因其全球公民而更加丰富的社区，我们拒绝让分裂的火焰威胁到本应保护我们所有人的公民自由。NBPA及其成员向亚历克斯·普雷蒂和蕾妮·古德的家人致以最深切的哀悼，同时我们的思绪也始终关注着我们社区所有成员的安全与福祉。”
作为NBA最杰出的“全球公民”之一，文班亚马表示，普雷蒂和古德的死让他开始思考一些重要问题。
“我读了新闻，有时我会对自己的生活提出一些非常深刻的问题，但我也意识到，说出我所有的想法对我现在来说代价太大了，所以我宁愿不深入太多细节，”文班亚马说。
文班亚马被问及生活在一个公开发声可能会有后果的国家是什么感受。
“当然，这很糟糕，”他说。“我知道我是个外国人。我住在这个国家。我当然很担忧。”
当被问及亚布塞莱的评论时，文班亚马说：“无论主题是什么，我总是为那些敢于说出自己想法的人感到骄傲。我认为这确实需要胆量，但现在可能要付出一些代价。我的意思是，我们每个人都必须决定自己愿意付出什么样的代价。”
在普雷蒂去世后的几个小时里，包括国土安全部部长克里斯蒂·诺姆 (Kristi Noem) 在内的特朗普政府官员迅速将普雷蒂描绘成一名挑衅者，称他持枪“接近”警官并有暴力行为。但现场目击者拍摄并发布在社交媒体上的视频显示，普雷蒂先被一名警官推搡，随后多名探员向他围拢。
1月10日，在明尼阿波利斯，一位社区成员跪在蕾妮·古德的纪念碑前。(Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS)
在冲突中，他手持一部手机，但从未被看到挥舞警方称他有持枪许可的手枪。
探员们射杀普雷蒂的地点，距离1月7日一名美国移民及海关执法局（ICE）官员开枪打死古德的地方仅一英里多，后者之死在双子城及其他地区引发了广泛的抗议活动。
旁观者拍摄并发布到社交媒体的视频显示，一名警官走近古德的汽车，要求她打开车门并抓住门把手。当她向前开车时，另一名站在车前的ICE官员拔出武器，向车内开了数枪。
文班亚马是最新一位就枪杀事件发声的NBA球员。
“在双子城和伟大的北极星之州发生的事情令人心碎，”尼克斯队球星卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns) 周日在X上写道。他在明尼苏达森林狼队度过了职业生涯的前九个赛季，并且是球员公会执行委员会的成员。
“这些事件夺走了生命，震动了家庭——我们必须呼吁问责、透明和对所有人的保护。此时此刻要求我们诚实地反思我们的价值观究竟是什么。我的思念、祈祷和最深切的哀悼与蕾妮·古德和亚历克斯·普雷蒂的家人同在。”
“我与明尼苏达人民同在。”
与文班亚马一样，印第安纳步行者队球星泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton) 的信息也十分直白。
“亚历克斯·普雷蒂被谋杀了，”哈利伯顿在社交媒体上发帖称。
Unrivaled联盟联合创始人、两届WNBA最有价值球员布里安娜·斯图尔特 (Breanna Stewart) 也强硬发声，在周日Unrivaled联盟的球员介绍环节举起了一个写有“废除ICE”的标语。
“昨天一整天，我都对你在Instagram和新闻上看到的一切感到恶心，”斯图尔特说，并补充道，“这里的每个人（在Unrivaled）都或多或少有这种感觉。”
“我们现在被仇恨而非爱所驱动，所以我想传达一个简单的信息‘废除ICE’，这意味着制定提升家庭和社区的政策，而不是助长恐惧和暴力。”
但篮球界也有其他人要么犹豫不决，要么表示对情况了解不够，无法发表评论。
“我只是热爱明尼苏达，以及他们给予我的所有爱与支持，”明尼苏达森林狼队球星安东尼·爱德华兹 (Anthony Edwards) 说。“所以无论他们支持什么，我都支持。我不太用社交媒体，所以没有了解所有情况。但我听说了正在发生的事情。我和我的家人肯定在为每一个人祈祷。”
美联社对本报道亦有贡献。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Spurs star Victor Wembanyama 'horrified' by 'murders' in Minneapolis
Spurs star Victor Wembanyama ‘horrified’ by ‘murders’ in Minneapolis
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) plays against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of an NBA game at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. The Spurs fell 113-101 to the Cavaliers.
Ignoring what he said was an effort within the organization to keep his comments politically correct, Spurs star Victor Wembanyama forcefully condemned the recent killings of two Minnesota residents by federal agents.
"You know, PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give some politically correct (answer),” Wembanyama said. “Every day I wake up and see the news and I’m horrified. I think it’s crazy that some people make it sound like it’s acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable.”
A reporter asked Wembanyama after practice Tuesday for his reaction about the tense situation in Minneapolis following the deaths in the NBA city of Alex Pretti, 37, an ICU nurse for the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, on Saturday and Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, on Jan. 7.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama wears a T-shirt in honor of MLK Day before an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz in San Antonio, Monday, Jan. 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
While Spurs coach Mitch Johnson and some other Spurs players addressed the killings in interviews with the media after Sunday’s loss to New Orleans, no one within the organization has talked about Minneapolis as forcefully as Wembanyama.
Wembanyama’s comments came a day after another French player, New York Knicks forward Guerschon Yabusele, 30, also spoke out.
“I can’t stop thinking about the tragic events unfolding in Minnesota, and even though I’m French, I can’t remain silent,” Yabusele said on X (formerly Twitter). “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.”
In a statement released Sunday, the National Basketball Players Association and its executive committee, which includes several league stars, also backed protestors.
A makeshift memorial is placed where Alex Pretti was fatally shot by a U.S. Border Patrol officer yesterday, in Minneapolis, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Adam Gray)
“Following the news of yet another fatal shooting in Minneapolis, a city that has been on the forefront of the fight against injustices, NBA players can no longer remain silent,” the union said. "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 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. The NBPA and its members extend our deepest condolences to the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, just as our thoughts remain focused on the safety and well-being of all members of our community.”
Wembanyama, one of the most prominent of the NBA’s “global citizens,” said the deaths of Pretti and Good have made him ask himself some important questions.
“I read the news and sometimes I’m asking very deep questions about my own life, but I’m conscious also that saying everything that’s on my mind would have a cost that’s too great for me right now, so I’d rather not get into too many details,” Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama was asked about living in a country where there could be repercussions for speaking out.
“For sure, it’s terrible,” he said. “I know I’m a foreigner. I live in this country. I am concerned, for sure.”
Asked about Yabusele’s comments, Wembanyama said, “I’m always proud of people speaking their mind no matter the subject. And I think it definitely takes some balls, but it might have some pricing right now. I mean, each and every one of us has to decide the price we’re willing to pay.”
In the hours after Pretti’s death, Trump administration officials, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, quickly cast Pretti as an instigator who “approached” officers with a gun and acted violently. But videos taken by witnesses at the scene and posted on social media show Pretti being pushed by an officer before several agents descend on him.
A community member kneels at the memorial to Renee Good in Minneapolis on Jan. 10. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune/TNS)
During the scuffle, he held a phone but is never seen brandishing the handgun police said he had a license to carry.
The agents shot Pretti just over a mile from where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shot Good on Jan. 7, sparking widespread protests in the Twin Cities and elsewhere.
Video taken by bystanders posted to social media showed an officer approaching Good’s car, demanding she open the door and grabbing the handle. When she pulls forward, a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and fires shots into the vehicle.
Wembanyama is the latest NBA player to speak out against the killings.
“What is happening in the Twin Cities and the Great North Star State is heartbreaking to witness,” Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns, who spent the first nine seasons of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and is a member of the players union’s executive committee, wrote on X on Sunday.
"These events have cost lives and shaken families — and we must call for accountability, transparency, and protections for all people. This moment demands that we reflect honestly on what our values truly are. My thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences are with the families of Renée Good and Alex Pretti.
“I stand with the people of Minnesota.”
Like Wembanyama, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, had a blunt message.
“Alex Pretti was murdered," Haliburton posted on social media.
Unrivaled co-founder and two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart has also spoken out forcefully, holding up an “Abolish ICE” sign during player introductions at Unrivaled on Sunday.
“Really all day yesterday, I was just disgusted from everything that you see on Instagram and in the news,” Stewart said, adding "everyone here (at Unrivaled) is feeling that way, one way or another.
“We’re so fueled by hate right now instead of love, so I wanted to have a simple message of ‘Abolish ICE,’ which means having policies to uplift families and communities instead of fueling fear and violence.”
But there have been others in the basketball world who have been either hesitant to speak out or have said they don’t know enough about the situation to comment.
“I just love Minnesota, all the love and support that they show me,” Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards said. “So I’m behind whatever they with. I don’t really have social media, so I’m not in tune with everything. But I’ve heard about stuff that’s going on. Me and my family have definitely praying for everybody.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
By Tom Orsborn, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News