As Game 1 of the NBA Finals entered the last seven minutes, the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs brought the game to a halt as a fan entered the court. And for Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, it was especially surprising, as the fan made his way to him.

Talking about the incident after the game, Wembanyama told reporters, "I've never been in that situation. I didn't know how to act."

The fan ran to Wembanyama after crashing the court with his mobile phone's camera open. Close-up videos on social media showed the big man smiling at the fan while he took the selfie. Seconds later, the courtside security arrived and carried him off the court.

The fan now faces potential legal action, an arena ban, and immediate ejection. For such a court invasion to take place in a finals game is extremely rare. It's happened before, during the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers Finals in 2016, but it's still a rare sight.

That's why it was surprising when Wembanyama recalled a different incident, as he explained to the reporters. "It really surprised me almost as much as that time where a bat crashed the court."

The Frenchman referred to a moment at the Frost Bank Center in 2024 during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, when a bat entered the court. After a minute of struggle, the Spurs' coyote mascot was able to catch the flying bat, receiving big cheers from fans and players on the bench.

This time, however, it was a fan who made their way into the court for a selfie with Wembanyama. That moment was the only bright spot in a rough second half. However, the team remains confident, and so does Wembanyama.

Victor Wembanyama remains confident despite Game 1 loss

During Wednesday's Game 1 loss, Richard Jefferson correctly pointed out that the Spurs were rushing things on offense.

Wembanyama looked uncomfortable from the start. He ended the game with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists, while making only 6 of 21 shots from the field. That's why he told reporters, "I'm gonna figure it out. I was bad tonight. It's not more complicated than that."

Despite the roster being filled with young stars, they have shown so much grit throughout these playoffs. Julian Champagnie and Dylan Harper carried a lot of the Spurs offense and kept them ahead for the most part of the game, and Wemby is still taking his team to win it all.

"It’s almost like I have to play normal, not even good. ...We’re going to be so much better... We've been down in a series before... I mean, I'm not worried [in] the slightest," he added.

Despite a first-half deficit, the Knicks came back into the game in the fourth quarter. They scrapped the Spurs' double-digit lead in the third quarter. Jalen Brunson caught fire in the last period as the Knicks outscored the hosts 29-19.

After a 105-95 win for the Knicks in the first game of the Finals, the Spurs have a chance to level the series on Friday, June 5, in San Antonio.

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Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar