# @theathletichq on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DTiga3AlenB
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/43019645-theathletichq-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/4334c42ea9.jpg
- **Posted:** 2026-01-15T19:01:02.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** The Athletic (@theathletichq) — https://gondola.cc/theathletichq

## Caption

Victor Wembanyama didn’t want a hype section. He wanted community.

After facing the most uncertain moment of his life, a blood clot that sidelined him and forced him to confront his own mortality, Wembanyama poured himself into a vision bigger than basketball: building the NBA’s first true ultras fan group.

He hosted the tryouts. He studied the tape. He FaceTimed the captains himself.

The result was the Jackals: a standing, singing, drum-pounding supporters section inspired by European football culture and rooted in San Antonio community.

But what started as an idea has become something deeper. The Jackals aren’t just changing the atmosphere inside the Frost Bank Center. They’re showing up for hospital patients, running toy drives, cheering at marathons and dreaming up ways to bring joy to kids across the city, with Wembanyama’s full support.

“I’m one of the first eight Jackals,” Wembanyama says. “Of course, I’m a Jackal.”

Inside how Victor Wembanyama turned vulnerability into vision and why this project may mean as much to him as anything he does on the court.

## Stats

- **Views:** 0
- **Likes:** 12,866
- **Shares:** 0
- **Comments:** 56

## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| The Athletic | @theathletichq | https://gondola.cc/theathletichq | Sports Media Outlet |
| Claire | @weltzan | https://gondola.cc/weltzan | Graphic Designer |
| Claire | @weltzan | https://gondola.cc/weltzan | Copywriter |
| Claire | @weltzan | https://gondola.cc/weltzan | Social Media Coordinator |

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