Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was given a flagrant 2 foul and subsequent ejection after elbowing Naz Reid of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the face in the second quarter in Game 4 of the conference semifinals on Sunday night.
It was Wembanyama’s first career ejection, and that was clear in his reaction to the referees confirming that decision, as he was seen on camera asking his teammate what a flagrant 2 foul means.
Wembanyama was booted from the game for the foul and didn’t return. It remains to be seen whether he will face further punishment, whether in the form of a fine or suspension by the NBA for the Spurs-Timberwolves Game 5. Still, speaking after the matchup, one insider shared new details on why Wembanyama’s ejection was not only surprising but ironic.
Insider Provides New Details On Victor Wembanyama Ejection
GettyVictor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs drives on Naz Reid #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game Two of the Western Conference Semifinals NBA Playoffs at Frost Bank Center on May 6, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
In a video posted after the Spurs’ Game 4 loss in Minnesota and Wembanyama’s ejection, Jared Weiss of The Athletic described why the star’s foul and subsequent punishment was ‘ironic’ based on how he’s talked about controlling his emotions in the past.
“It was just ironic, the whole situation, because Victor talks about being in control of his emotions,” Weiss said in a post on X when speaking about the ejection. “But also not hiding, being under the burden of hiding his emotions.”
The Timberwolves were getting physical with Wembanyama early in Game 4, but regardless, his elbow to Reid’s neck resulted in his ejection.
“In this game, it all kind of came out. Even if you want to say the elbow was incidental, the recklessness of it was not,” Weiss added. “It was clearly a response to the intense physicality.”
Weiss also said that Wembanyama and the Spurs have been disappointed with the physicality and lack of calls they’ve gotten through the first four games of the series, but added, ‘This is what most young stars have to deal with,’ when referring to both the physicality and lack of calls Wembanyama has gotten against the Timberwolves.
“But yeah, Victor, he screwed up,” Weiss ended with. “He screwed up big time, and now the series is tied.”
Weiss also said that he hopes Wembanyama isn’t suspended, but the league has yet to announce news on that front.
Is Victor Wembanyama Getting Suspended?
It remains to be seen if the NBA will suspend Wembanyama for his elbow against Reid. The league has the ability to go through everything that happened and either decide on further punishment like a fine or suspension, but they have yet to announce anything.
Speaking after the game, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson gave a blunt response to what he thought happened, and why Wembanyama was ejected for his move.
“Just the amount of physicality that people play with him, at some level, you have to protect yourself,” Johnson said.
“It’s starting to get disgusting in terms of when he tries to fight through things, be professional and mature and deal with some of that stuff. I’m glad he took matters into his own hands. Not in terms of hitting Naz Reid, but he’s going to have to protect himself if they’re not. And I think it’s disgusting.”
But when speaking about a potential suspension, Johnson said that a one-game ban would be ‘ridiculous.’
Opposingly, Brian Windhorst of ESPN called out Wembanyama for the move, adding that while he doesn’t think a suspension is coming, “I do think there’s a chance he will get a fine for this play.”
Wembanyama was ejected for his elbow on Reid, and while that played a big part in the Spurs losing Game 4, it is still undetermined if San Antonio will see any further punishment on their franchise player going forward.
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