“The Alien” has been brought back to Earth.
Victor Wembanyama has been warned by the NBA for snubbing the media following the Spurs’ Game 5 Western Conference finals loss Tuesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Wembanyama was below his best in the 127-114 defeat to the Thunder, as he scored 20 points on just 4-of-15 shooting from the field.
And he apparently wasn’t in the mood to speak following the loss, as he left the locker room without stopping for reporters — a violation of the league’s media access rules that mandate players make themselves available after games.
A Spurs spokesman told reporters after the loss that Wembanyama was not available to speak, and the French big man walked past a scrum of media around midnight, according to The Athletic.
The Athletic added that the NBA decided to merely warn the 22-year-old — rather than fine him — because he was a “first-time offender” in terms of skipping his media duties.
In fact, the newly crowned Defensive Player of the Year was awarded the Magic Johnson Award in April by the Pro Basketball Writers Association for his cooperation with the media.
Wembanyama has averaged 28.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.0 blocks this series.
However, he and the Spurs now face a must-win Game 6 after falling behind 3-2 in the series Tuesday.