Role model

There are many ways for an athlete to use his platform.

He can entertain. He can inspire. He can promote a product, support a cause or simply let his performance on the court do the talking.

But every once in a while, an athlete reminds us that having a platform also comes with a certain responsibility — especially when millions of young people are watching.

That is why I found it refreshing to hear San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama firmly say that he will never endorse or promote sports betting or prediction-market companies.

The 22-year-old NBA superstar recently described it as “very sad” to see fellow athletes accepting gambling-related endorsement deals.

Wembanyama certainly has every right to his opinion — so does every other athlete who chooses differently.

But what struck me was not simply his position on gambling. It was the fact that a young superstar, already one of the biggest names in basketball worldwide, is willing to say no to something that could potentially put more money in his pocket.

And that, to me, is worth talking — and writing — about.

Sports betting is a legitimate business. It is legal in many places and, like any other form of entertainment, adults can make their own decisions about whether to participate.

But we also cannot ignore the other side of the equation.

Gambling can become a problem, particularly for people who can least afford to lose money. And in a country like the Philippines, where many families are already struggling to make ends meet, every peso spent chasing a supposedly easy win is a peso that could have been used for food, transportation, education or other necessities.

The danger becomes even greater when sports betting is constantly presented by celebrities, athletes and leagues as something exciting, glamorous and almost effortless.

Watch a basketball game and you can see how deeply betting has become intertwined with sports. Popular athletes, entertainers, sports personalities and even leagues openly promote betting platforms.

The message can easily become: Put your money down. Pick a winner. Bet on a player’s specific statistical performance in a game. Maybe tonight is your night.

But winning is never guaranteed. No matter how lucky, good or an expert you think you are.

Sports betting may be here to stay. In a world where there are people who can afford to gamble and lose money, completely eradicating it may simply be impossible. But perhaps the bigger question is whether we need to keep promoting it even more.

We may not be able to stop people from gambling, but we can choose not to encourage those who can least afford it to gamble away what little they have. There is a difference between accepting that something exists and actively helping sell it to the public.

And that is precisely where athletes and organizations have an enormous responsibility.

Our sports heroes are not merely players on a television screen. For many young fans, they are role models. Their words, actions and even the products they endorse can influence how young people see the world.

Professional basketball players and other athletes are already fortunate enough to earn substantial amounts from playing the sport they love, with many earning even more through endorsements and other opportunities.

Perhaps, at some point, there is value in saying: I don’t need this particular paycheck.

That is what makes Wembanyama’s position refreshing to me personally. He is young. He is immensely popular. He has future GOAT potential written all over him. He has a tremendous platform. And he is choosing to use that platform to draw a line on something he personally does not want to promote.

I believe we need more athletes like Victor Wembanyama — not because everyone has to agree with him, but because sports should be about more than winning games and making money.

It should also be about the values we pass on to the next generation.

And if more of our star athletes, especially in the Philippines, would occasionally choose principle over another endorsement deal and additional income, perhaps that would be a victory worth celebrating beyond any hardcourt or sports venue.