The NBA’s Top Player Might Hold Star Wars’ Most Controversial Opinion

Image: NBA/Lucasfilm/Everett Collection

Regardless of who ultimately hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy, 2026 has been a banner year for Victor Wembanyama. Speaking as a lifelong New Yorker who grew up idolizing Latrell Sprewell, I can admit that the 22-year-old French phenom is a legitimate force of nature. Standing at a staggering 7-foot-4, “Wemby” has evolved into a global icon, recently earning unanimous Western Conference Finals MVP honors after guiding the San Antonio Spurs past the surging Knicks. Yet, even with his superhuman court vision and defensive dominance, the young star holds some truly baffling opinions regarding the Star Wars galaxy.

A resurfaced 2023 clip from the podcast The Old Man and The Three features a younger Wembanyama detailing his cinematic preferences, and his ranking is—to put it mildly—a controversial take for any sci-fi enthusiast:

“When I say I like Star Wars, I don’t count the last three movies. My favorite is Revenge of the Sith, my second favorite would have to be Attack of the Clones, and then I’d say The Empire Strikes Back.”

Throwback to when Wemby said Attack Of The Clones is his second favorite Star Wars film from an old OM3 ep 🏀✨ pic.twitter.com/VubRuAbtWF

— TheOldManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) June 2, 2026

Let’s dissect this breakdown.

First, ranking Revenge of the Sith at the top is defensible. As a Gen Z athlete, Wembanyama grew up with the prequel trilogy, and Episode III remains the high-water mark of that era. But placing Attack of the Clones as his runner-up? That is a bold, almost incomprehensible stance. Beyond the iconic arena battle, the film is notoriously bogged down by wooden dialogue, questionable CGI, and the notoriously cringe-worthy “sand” romance between Anakin and Padmé. For a player who possesses the reach of a Kaminoan, he seems to have developed a strange affinity for the franchise’s most clunky entry.

Wemby eventually pivots to the safety of The Empire Strikes Back to round out his podium. While Empire is objectively a masterpiece, slotting it behind Episode II feels borderline heretical.

However, his most glaring misstep isn’t his love for the prequels—it’s his total disregard for the sequel trilogy: The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. While the latter was undeniably a narrative train wreck, dismissing the entire trilogy as non-existent is a dangerous trend. Such rhetoric mirrors the toxic corners of the internet that attempt to “de-canonize” films featuring diverse protagonists. By suggesting these movies “don’t count,” Wemby is inadvertently echoing a regressive sentiment that seeks to gatekeep the future of the franchise.

Perhaps in the time since that interview, Wembanyama’s palate has matured alongside his jump shot. We can only hope. In the meantime, the court is open for the Finals. Go Knicks.

Source: Polygon