Victor Wembanyama's time is coming -- it just wasn...
Key takeaways
- Wembanyama looked delighted that he had gotten into Robinson's head.
- By night's end, his glee was revealed to be hubris: San Antonio blew a 29-point lead to lose Game 4, the pivotal contest of the series.
- Yet San Antonio left the Frost Bank Center as runners-up, an oh-so-close agony Wembanyama previously experienced when his French national team lost to the United States in the gold medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
THE LASTING IMAGE of Victor Wembanyama's first NBA Finals came in the first quarter of Game 4, when the San Antonio Spurs star smiled and pointed at his temple after goading New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson into a flagrant foul. Wembanyama looked delighted that he had gotten into Robinson's head.
By night's end, his glee was revealed to be hubris: San Antonio blew a 29-point lead to lose Game 4, the pivotal contest of the series. Unable to recover from the excruciating defeat, the Spurs suffered another fourth-quarter collapse Saturday in a season-ending 94-90 Game 5 loss to the Knicks.
During a mesmerizing postseason debut in which he posted historic numbers and led the Spurs to their first Finals appearance since 2014, the 22-year-old Wembanyama proved he could carry a team, handle playoff physicality and manage the many challenges posed by his immense fame. Yet San Antonio left the Frost Bank Center as runners-up, an oh-so-close agony Wembanyama previously experienced when his French national team lost to the United States in the gold medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympics.