I've got to be honest with you, folks – something felt off about the way Victor Wembanyama's return was celebrated. And Dan Le Batard put his finger right on it.
"This is unusual," Le Batard said on his show. "Wembanyama's return was being celebrated on NBC as redemption and an amazing story arc for a guy who did something dirty."
Let's rewind. Wembanyama threw an elbow – and not just any elbow, a vicious one that got him suspended. The kind of play that makes you wince when you see the replay. The kind that could've seriously hurt someone. And yet, when he returned to the court, the narrative somehow became about his redemption?
"I'm surprised part of the narrative wasn't 'thank God he didn't hurt his elbow on that guy's jaw,'" Le Batard said sarcastically.
Now look, I love Wemby as much as the next guy. The kid is a generational talent – 7-foot-4 with guard skills and defensive instincts that rewrite what we thought was possible. He's the future of the NBA. But that doesn't mean we celebrate him coming back from a suspension for dirty play like he just overcame adversity.
If this were a role player, would we be calling it a "story arc"? Or would we be calling it what it is – a player serving his suspension and returning to do his job?
The double standard here is uncomfortable. When you're a superstar, apparently even your mistakes get the hero treatment. That's not right, folks. Wemby should've come back, acknowledged the mistake, and moved forward. Instead, we got highlight packages and redemption narratives.
"He did something dirty," Le Batard emphasized, and he's right to keep saying it. Because in sports, we can't let star power erase accountability.

