The NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs have been physical from the jump, and Game 3 only turned up the heat. With about five minutes left in the first quarter, Victor Wembanyama shoved Jalen Brunson by the head and neck to the floor, and not a single whistle blew.
The league reviewed the play the next day, admitted a foul was missed, and then chose not to upgrade it to a flagrant. That sequence is now the center of a theory spreading fast across basketball social media, and it is one the NBA probably does not want to engage with.
NBA Fans Call Out the League for Protecting Wembanyama
GettyNBA Fans Accuse League of Protecting Victor Wembanyama After Missed Flagrant Review
One fan said the foul was obvious: “NBA really out here protecting the alien like ‘nah that ain’t flagrant’ Wemby shoved Brunson into next week and they just shrugged. Knicks fans in shambles rn.”
Another added: “omg wemby literally shoves brunson and gets away with it?? league really protecting their golden boy huh no flagrant?? make it make sense nba”
One more weighed in: “no flagrant?? they really protecting wemby like that habibi, poor brunson got shoved for free nba wilding fr”
A frustrated fan went further: “@NBA you gonna need protection for these refs you let another flagrant go uncalled for Wemby you b*m f**k bi**es This is f**king fixed”
Another made it personal: “@Wemby has the audacity to talk about respect when the NBA has no integrity. This was an obvious flagrant-1 and obviously @heyadamsilver is protecting him. What a sham? What a shame?”
One user pointed out a clear double standard: “The NBA is protecting Wemby. Brunson was called for a Flagrant 1 for ‘reckless closeout’ on Julian Champagnie during a 3-point attempt. Wemby does the exact same thing. No call.”
A fan said flatly: “There is ZERO doubt the @nba is protecting wembanyama. @NBAOfficial are frauds who deliberately let Wemby get away with murder and refuse to call even the most obvious fouls. They don’t care if they rob the @knicks of an NBA title in the process.”
Another added a warning: “The NBA is going to protect Wembanyama to the point teams will go after him.”
And one fan made clear this was no longer just a theory to him: “i need to clarify. something is only a conspiracy THEORY if it is an idea about something that has no basis in reality. this is simply a conspiracy. the theory is to suggest there is no protecting wembanyama, and that the news wasnt dropped at 10 pm to try and hide it”
Did the NBA Protect Wembanyama to Keep the Series Alive?
GettyFans Question NBA’s Decision Not to Upgrade Victor Wembanyama Foul on Jalen Brunson
Fans are not just venting. They are pointing to a specific chain of events and asking the league to explain it. Wembanyama already had two flagrant foul points heading into Game 3, picked up during the Western Conference semifinals. A Flagrant 1 on the Brunson shove would have pushed him to three, one point away from an automatic suspension.
As one fan added: “So this is why they protecting wemby above all because his next flagrant foul would result in suspension according to nba policies because he got one in the Minnesota series 🤔 now this makes perfect sense.”
That is the core of what people are saying. If Wembanyama gets suspended, the Spurs are essentially done. A series that was already 2-0 in New York’s favor becomes almost impossible to come back from, and the league loses ticket sales, viewership, and playoff revenue it was counting on.
Also, the double standard piece is what fans keep coming back to. In that same game, Brunson was called for a Flagrant 1 on a closeout against Julian Champagnie. That triggered a four-point play, flipped the momentum, and San Antonio never trailed again, winning 115-111 to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Fans are saying the league looked the other way on Wembanyama to keep him on the floor, keep the Spurs alive, and keep the Finals going longer. The NBA’s head of officiating admitted the foul was missed but the league chose not to act on it. For a lot of people watching, that decision did not land as a coincidence.
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