Rowdy New York Knicks fans threw objects at Victor Wembanyama as the San Antonio Spurs star returned to his hotel following his team’s historic 29-point collapse in the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman, the man leading the charge against the Knicks in the finals that have gripped the city, had stepped off the team bus to a crescendo of jeers and taunts at the Ritz-Carlton in NoMad, Manhattan.
But on a night of mayhem across the city, some fans in the crowd went too far and threw objects at the towering NBA star from the swarm of people on W28th street. One item, possibly an egg, narrowly missed his head and struck a street sign.
Security guards ran out to try and rush Wembanyama inside, who appeared to look more confused by their actions before turning his head back at the fans before eventually making it indoors unharmed.
For so long on Wednesday night, the Spurs looked destined to silence Madison Square Garden – there were even boos from devastated Knicks fans around halftime as Wembanyama’s team stormed into what seemed an unassailable 76-49 lead.
Wembanyama was even taunting his Knicks rivals, at one stage pointing at Mitchell Robinson and calling out ‘I’m in your head’ when the center was called for a flagrant foul against him.
Knicks fans threw objects at Victor Wembanyama at the San Antonio Spurs hotel in New York
The 22-year-old fell flat in the second half though, scoring just eight of his 24 points as the Knicks mounted a comeback that will go down in history.
Crucially, Wembanyama missed two vital free throws with his team up 104-103 with 1:47 left in the fourth and final quarter.
The Knicks would then, somehow, fight their way back to victory with OG Anunoby’s tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining capping a blistering 107-106 win.
Wembanyama also got his own Flagrant 1, catching Knicks rival Karl-Anthony Towns with his elbow in the third quarter at a time when things were slowly starting to unravel for the Spurs.
It was a pointed moment for Knicks fans – Wembanyama somehow escaped the same punishment in Game 3 when he pushed star man Jalen Brunson, by the neck, to the floor off the ball.
Wembanyama and his stunned team now return to Texas where they will fight to remain in the series in Game 5 on Saturday night. For the Knicks, who now hold a commanding 3-1 lead, they stand on the brink of history and their first NBA Championship since 1973.
‘What’s going through my mind right now is gonna go one of two ways. A bad one and a good one,’ Wembanyama said after the game.
‘The bad one would be giving up, the good one would be getting stronger through this, getting more together. I know this is what we’re going to do.’
Wembanyama’s team blew a 29-point lead over the Knicks in the NBA Finals at MSG
His team are now fighting to remain in the series ahead of Saturday night’s game in Texas
The scenes marked a night of chaos across the Big Apple as things once again turned rowdy.
The NYPD said Thursday morning that multiple people had been arrested outside MSG after fights broke out in the streets around the arena. People were seen climbing onto cars and light poles and a police vehicle was pictured with a damaged windshield.
If Wembanyama and the Spurs win on Saturday night, the series will return to MSG for Game 6 on Tuesday, June 16. Game 7, if needed, is in San Antonio on Friday, June 19.
