The San Antonio Spurs recently lost a game to the Golden State Warriors on the road. A hard-fought battle ended the Spurs’ three-game winning streak. But reporters were more interested in getting Victor Wembanyama’s two cents on getting fined $25,000 for tossing the game ball into the stands after their overtime win over the New York Knicks.
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For the uninitiated, Victor Wembanyama posted a career-high in points in a win over the New York Knicks during their last outing, scoring 40 points, per Statmuse, while Jalen Brunson had 61 of his own [per ESPN]. After the game, Wemby clutched the ball onto his chest before tossing it into the stands. To reprimand him for his show of passion, the league shockingly decided to fine Wemby for his actions after their last win at the Frost Bank Center, much to even the neutral fans’ dismay.
During the post-game press conference after their game versus the Warriors tonight, one of the reporters asked the San Antonio Spurs rookie if he was surprised to receive a fine over his actions in the team’s last game.
“I know players have gotten fined for throwing the ball in the stands before, but they did it with bad intent. I was just doing it to make someone’s day.”
To be fair to Victor Wembanyama, it is extremely harsh to fine the Frenchman anything at all for what he did. He simply lobbed the ball up towards the stands as an expression of his passion and joy after a stellar game played. And as expected, this is what the rookie attempted to explain at the first opportunity he received.
However, to be fair to the NBA, there is still an element of inherent danger to Wemby’s actions. After all, there could’ve been a fan who wasn’t paying attention, and hence, would be unable to parry the ball, opening up the chance of some form of injury. This is likely the situation the league is looking to prevent.
That said, it is still extremely harsh to fine the youngster $25,000, rather than letting him off with some form of a warning instead.
Victor Wembanyama could not extend the Spurs’ winning streak
The San Antonio Spurs could not extend their winning streak to four games as they lost their most recent matchup to the Golden State Warriors with a 113-117 final score. However, despite the loss, Wembanyama had yet another great night.
The 7’4″ man finished the night with 32 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks for the game, per Statmuse. Unfortunately for the Spurs, Stephen Curry and the rest of the Warriors had different plans coming in.
Curry led Golden State for the night, scoring 33 points, 8 assists, and 1 rebound for the game [according to Statmuse]. Curry also got a huge boost from Draymond Green who had 21 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 6 steals, and 1 block for the game [per NBA.com].
This win helps the Warriors stay in the 10th spot in the West, keeping their playoff hopes alive by still being in the play-in contention. However, the Spurs remained rooted dead last in the Western Conference, with a record of 18-57, as seen on NBA.com.
With Victor Wembanyama clearly having acclimatized to the NBA, can the San Antonio Spurs take advantage by surrounding the big man with the right kind of talent? Or, will Wemby have to suffer more losing seasons like this one?
