The NBA’s golden child, Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, received his first fine. It seems like everything he does is fantastic, but a small action meant losing some money.
Wembanyama had an amazing game against the Knicks, scoring 40 points, grabbing 20 rebounds, and making 7 assists.
This outstanding performance helped San Antonio win in overtime. Even the legendary Walt Frazer compared him to LeBron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell.
But, despite Wembanyama’s brilliance, the spotlight was also on New York’s Jalen Brunson, who scored an incredible 61 points in the same game. He was just one point away from matching Carmelo Anthony’s record for the Knicks.
After this intense battle, Wembanyama celebrated the Spurs’ victory by throwing the game ball into the stands at San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center. This action led to the NBA taking action against the number one pick.
The NBA announced on Sunday that Wembanyama was fined $25,000 for “throwing the game ball into the spectator stands.”
Wembanyama was full of energy after the win, so he threw the ball into the crowd before celebrating with his teammates. A ball boy for the Knicks got it back from the fan who caught it, as reported by ESPN.
Many NBA fans thought it was Brunson’s game ball, especially after his incredible 61-point game. But with Wembanyama’s career-best 40 points leading the Spurs to victory, some say it should have been his.
Regardless, the NBA has a strict rule against throwing anything into the crowd, similar to the fines Warriors’ star Stephen Curry received for throwing his mouthpiece.
Even though Wembanyama’s throw was harmless in celebration, the NBA had to penalize him for breaking the rule.