Victor Wembanyama skips postgame media session after Spurs’ Game 5 loss to Thunder
OKLAHOMA CITY — By the time Victor Wembanyama emerged with his street clothes on, having taken his postgame shower after the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 127-114 win over his San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, midnight was fast approaching.
A large crowd of reporters was still in the Spurs’ visiting locker room, all of them waiting around to hear what the 22-year-old big man had to say about why he struggled so mightily Tuesday night as the Thunder took a 3-2 series lead. But as Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox was addressing the reporters, Wembanyama surprised the media masses and walked right past them on the way to the team bus. He took a left at the PayCom Center hallway, walked a few hundred feet more, then veered off into the night while team officials and reporters alike were stunned by his choice not to fulfill the media duties that are mandated by the NBA.
There would be no discussion about his 4-for-15 shooting, the six rebounds he was able to muster in 38 minutes, or the fact that — in a real rarity — his team lost the minutes in which he played by nearly double digits (minus-8). There would be no reflections about his first-quarter shoulder bump with Thunder big man Chet Holmgren, who was grazed by the Spurs big man as they both walked to the bench during San Antonio’s hot start. Nor, for that matter, would there be any comments on the physical and edgy response from Thunder forward Jaylin Williams in the minutes thereafter.
On one of the game’s biggest stages, and with so many questions looming about why the Thunder were able to stop his superpowers when it mattered most, Wembanyama’s choice to stay silent after such a lackluster performance is sure to spark all sorts of criticism. Especially considering how vocal he has been all season about this growing rivalry with the Thunder.
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. 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 eyes of some Spurs officials, Wembanyama’s choice to stay silent spoke volumes about how he sees the seriousness of his team’s situation. After going 62-20 in the regular season (two games behind the league-leading Thunder), then beating OKC in six of nine games entering this Game 5 loss, they now face possible elimination in Game 6 in San Antonio on Thursday. And Wembanyama, league rules be darned, clearly decided to let his response on the court do the talking.