Wembanyama Ejected for the First Time

Victor Wembanyama found himself in unfamiliar territory recently.

During Game 4, midway through the second quarter, a flagrant 2 foul was called against him for elbowing Naz Reid in the neck. In the aftermath, Wembanyama turned to teammate Harrison Barnes and asked, “What does that mean?”

On Sunday, after Barnes explained the situation—captured on the NBC broadcast—Wembanyama nodded and high-fived several teammates before exiting the bench, realizing he’d been ejected for the first time in his career.

The foul happened as Wembanyama, Reid, and another Timberwolves player battled for a rebound. When Wembanyama managed to snag the ball, he lifted his elbow and aimed it at Reid. Reid collapsed to the floor, and Wembanyama’s performance ended abruptly with just four points in 12 minutes, shooting 2-of-5 from the field.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson spoke to reporters after the game, expressing that he viewed the foul as unintentional. “It’s a tough break. In general, if those in charge of the game don’t manage its physicality, he needs to protect himself at some point. We’ve been advising him about this for a while.”

The game shifted dramatically as the Spurs continued without their star player for over 38 minutes, ultimately losing to the Timberwolves 114-109, despite Anthony Edwards’ impressive 36 points, tying the series at two games each.

Johnson was visibly upset about the physical challenges Wembanyama faces, emphasizing that the young player needs to look out for himself if officials aren’t addressing the rough play directed at him. “At some level, you need to protect yourself given the physicality shown towards him. Every time he steps on the floor, he faces that pressure.”

With Game 5 set to take place in San Antonio on Wednesday, there is uncertainty surrounding whether Wembanyama might face further repercussions from the incident.