NEED TO KNOW

• Victor Wembanyama delivered a message to critics who call him "too emotional" on the court

• "I think it's first and foremost a fear of judgment," Wembanyama told French outlet L'Equipe

• The Spurs star added, "Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions"

Victor Wembanyama had a powerful response to critics who say he's too "emotional" on the court.

After the San Antonio Spurs advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs on Tuesday, April 28, Wembanyama was asked about the criticism — specifically in reaction to when the Spurs star cried following a comeback win over the Clippers in March, and another emotional moment on the bench with his teammates Tuesday— by Maxime Aubin of the French magazine, L'Equipe.

On Wednesday, April 29, Aubin posted on X that he asked Wembanyama "why" critics are calling him "too emotional," with Aubin calling out "the tired old clichés that treat emotions as a weakness."

Wembanyama said, "That's a tough question. I think it's first and foremost a fear of judgment, like, this feeling that you have to act a certain way, social codes, I guess."

"Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions," Wembanyama added.

The Spurs star's response resonated with fans. "It’s cool and refreshing to see a professional athlete with such high emotional intelligence," said one user on X.

Follow your favorite athletes on and off the field with PEOPLE's free sports newsletter — sign up now!

Even a Portland Trailblazers fan, whose team was eliminated by the Spurs on Tuesday, spoke in support of Wembanyama's response. "He just crushed my Blazers and I hate him for that, but he seems like such a genuinely good dude and he’s gonna give the league hell for years to come. Glad he doesn’t have to be the enemy anymore," the Portland fan said.

Wembanyama also addressed his emotions after the Spurs' series-clinching victory, telling reporters, "It feels like a step passed, step 1 done. I'm personally happy to see things are moving forward in the right direction."

During the offseason, Wembanyama spent 10 days at Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou, China, where he studied Chinese meditation, Shaolin Kung Fu, traditional Chinese medicine and more, according to ESPN. “Kung fu. Everyday. It was like a vegan temple, monastery. … I was isolated,” Wembanyama said on an episode of The Shop.

“It was a great experience,” he said. “My goal going there was putting my body through things that it’s not used to doing and allowing my range of movement and strength. This was probably as very different as possible from what I’m used to doing.”

Read the original article on People