San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama took heat on social media for declining to speak with the media following the team's 127-114 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.
The Athletic's Sam Amick revealed the star big man was facing a potential punishment for skirting his responsibilities.
"What’s more, league officials must now decide how to respond to his choice, which was a serious break from the league’s norm for its star players and Wembanyama’s typical media decorum," Amick said.
"This season, in fact, Wembanyama was voted the most media-friendly player in the game by the Professional Basketball Writers Association. In addition to the scrutiny his decision invites, the fact that Wembanyama ducked media duties after such a high-profile game is likely to factor into the league’s decision about whether to issue him a fine."
In the end, the NBA opted for patience.
Victor Wembanyama Punishment Revealed
Instead of issuing a fine for the former No. 1 overall pick, the NBA issued a warning instead.
"The NBA has warned the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama for violating media access rules. Wembanyama bypassed media obligations after Game 5 on Tuesday night," NBA insider Shams Charania said.
The NBA has warned the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama for violating media access rules. Wembanyama bypassed media obligations after Game 5 on Tuesday night.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 27, 2026
The Spurs star had the worst playoff game of his young career on Tuesday night, shooting just 4 of 15 from the floor while missing all five of his 3-point attempts. His only saving grace came at the free throw line where he added 12 of his 20 points on the night.
He also had one rebound in the first half, which tied the second half of San Antonio's Game 3 loss for his fewest rebounds in a half in the playoffs.
Oklahoma City also shot 49% with Wembanyama on the court in Game 5, the highest field goal percentage a team has shot against him in the postseason.
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from Men's Journal https://ift.tt/uUKiRkY
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