Victor Wembanyama recently spoke in favor of the students after mass protests broke out in France. More than 70,000 students took to the streets over poor school facilities and staffing.
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Recently, the BBC and other outlets reported that the protests have taken a violent turn. Fires were lit on the streets, and various shops were ransacked. On Instagram, Complex reported that stores like Louis Vuitton and Apple were looted during the protests as well.
Resharing Complex’s post, Milwaukee Bucks power forward Kyle Kuzma uploaded an Instagram story captioned “I guess this was about pencils and notebooks.”
When the protests first started, the students were simply demanding better facilities and staffing solutions after reportedly facing a chronic shortage of teachers. After the San Antonio Spurs’ first preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks, Wembanyama was asked for his opinion.
“I’ve had the chance to escape this system, escape this trouble,” he said. “But it’s a chance, it’s luck. So I want to show my support.” Recently, Wembanyama had posted a series of pictures from his summer holidays in French.
On the same post, a fan asked whether he’d join the protest; he replied: “I would love to.”
He even praised the students for taking a stand, saying, “These are systemic inequalities, problems so deep-rooted that, in fact, I’m glad that high-school students and young people in general are speaking up.”
Wembanyama attended school in Nanterre and is familiar with student blockades. A blockade is when students gather to block the school’s entrance and shut down operations. He has seen it all with his own eyes, so he understands it differently from those who may not have.
“It’s not something that’s completely unfamiliar to me,” he said at the press conference.
Wembanyama supported the students’ original demand for facilities and staffing, not the subsequent looting Kuzma criticized. There’s also no indication that Kuzma was taking a jab at Wembanyama’s support. He is, however, not happy with the way the protests have grown violent over the past few days.
Previously, Kuzma has taken a stance against the Spurs star. In early October 2026, Wembanyama told the media that he’d “never” promote sports betting companies. He explained that it’s just one of those things that don’t align with his values, even if it can make him richer.
Kuzma responded to his comments on X on October 2, 2026.
“Sports betting is correct, but for you all that look at LeBron or any other person that are involved in prediction markets are totally misinformed on the subject,” he wrote.
“Calling prediction markets sports gambling is like calling the stock market a casino. You don’t have to like it, but it’s a regulated exchange where people trade with each other, not a house that profits when you lose. Know the difference”
The Milwaukee Bucks power forward also happens to be a shareholder in the regulated exchange & prediction market company, Kalshi. His post surfaced soon after Wembanyama spoke about the issue, and his reply was direct.
However, Wembanyama has not responded to Kuzma’s post.