Knicks fans threw objects at Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama as he and his teammates returned to their Midtown hotel following New York’s historic comeback win on Wednesday night.
Wembanyama had just gotten off the team’s bus and was walking towards the entrance of the Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad when an object was hurled towards him and smashed into a street sign, according to video posted on X.
San Antonio’s towering 7-foot-5 center, wearing street clothes and carrying a large Louis Vuitton duffel bag, ducked as the apparent piece of trash shattered against the post.
Security guards grabbed Wembanyama and rushed him inside the luxury hotel as the crazed fans continued jeering the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, shouting “Wemby” after the Spurs blew a 29-point lead in the 107-106 loss.
Wembanyama made one last glance at the thousands of Knicks fans behind metal barriers before he vanished inside the hotel.
“The Alien,” as he is known, scored 24 points and one assist in the 44 minutes he played, making only eight points in the second half and missing two crucial free throws when the Spurs were up 104-103 with 1:47 left in the 4th quarter.
Play got chippy early Wednesday night as Knicks center Mitchell Robinson was called for a flagrant foul after throwing an elbow into Wembanyama, knocking San Antonio’s big man to the floor.
As his teammates ran to pick him up, Wembanyama stared down Robinson, pointing at his temple, saying ‘I’m in your head.”
Two quarters later, Wembanyama was hit with his own Flagrant 1 after his elbow came across the face of Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns while he was trying to break free as the Spurs held their 29-point lead.
Knicks fans had swarmed the area around W28th Street waiting for the Spurs to return to the luxury hotel they’ve been staying at while in town for Game 3 and Game 4 of the NBA finals.
Hours before tip-off, Knicks fans had given the Spurs a “boo-filled” send-off to Madison Square Garden as the team boarded the bus headed towards the “World’s Most Famous Arena.”
Wembanyama had been branded public enemy number one after he got away with shoving Knicks’ captain Jalen Brunson in a dirty play during the first quarter of Game 3 on Monday.
Had Wembanyama been charged with a flagrant in Game 3, he would now have four flagrant foul points that would’ve suspended him for one game, meaning he would have missed Game 5 back in San Antonio on Saturday.
New Yorkers had called for “Wemby” to be charged with a flagrant foul, but both the referees and NBA officials declined to charge the penalty to Wembanyama.
