Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs bounced back in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, securing a critical 115-111 road win over the New York Knicks .
However, a physical exchange between Wembanyama and Knicks star Jalen Brunson somewhat stole the spotlight, becoming one of the most talked-about moments of the contest.
Midway through the first quarter of Monday's game, Wembanyama shoved Brunson in the back of the neck, causing the 6-foot-2 guard to lose balance and stumble to the floor. Brunson immediately confronted the Spurs superstar as the play continued, seemingly warning him about the contact.
Wembanyama proceeded to smile, a response that did not sit well with many, as the NBA community on X promptly began calling him out.
"Just because he's tall, foreign, and does all this performative look-at-me bulls**t doesn't mean he's not a scumbag. This guy has the whole world fooled, drives me CRAZY," Barstool Sports' Kevin Clancy tweeted .
"Wemby will never be embraced by fans or the actual face of the league, no matter how hard the NBA tries to gift him success. He is dirty and objectively unlikeable," another observer vented .
"How many times is the NBA going to protect Wembanyama before he seriously injures someone? Wemby is not the golden child the NBA wants him to be. He's a dirty player with an enormous unlikable ego. I don't understand how some people can't see it!!!" Sam Humphreys, co-host of "The 73rd Hole Podcast," questioned .
Notably, officials didn't call a foul on the divisive play, appearing to miss the contact entirely. The incident rekindled memories of an earlier postseason altercation involving Wembanyama and Minnesota Timberwolves big man Naz Reid during Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals.
Wembanyama struck Reid in the throat with an elbow, and the foul was upgraded to a Flagrant 2, resulting in his automatic ejection. Many initially believed the elbow stemmed from frustration in the heat of competition, but the Brunson incident fueled accusations that the French phenom is an unethical player.
"Elbowed Naz Reid in the throat and now this. Dirtiest player in the league. Extremely holier than thou. Wants to preach ethical basketball and then does that. Ridiculous," sports radio host Nick Kostos slammed Wembanyama , adding, "So, Wemby is just a straight up dirty player, huh?"
"We really didn't believe OKC fans when they said Wemby was dirty," Knicks Union added .
The intensity of the Finals often brings out heightened emotions and physical play from younger stars experiencing immense pressure. Wembanyama is still early in his career and is navigating the challenge of performing under the spotlight of a hostile Madison Square Garden crowd, but moments like these are likely to keep him under scrutiny moving forward.
As for Wembanyama's performance, he finished Monday's win with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists as the Spurs cut their series deficit to 2-1. In doing so, he became the second-youngest player in Finals history to record at least 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
