Victor Vumbanyama and the San Antonio Spurs are suddenly under tremendous pressure in the Western Conference Finals, and now the NBA is getting involved off the court.
“After the Spurs lost 127-114 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, leaving the San Antonio Spurs down 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals, a team spokesman said Vembanyama will not be available to speak to reporters,” Shams Charania reported to ESPN. “The announcement came about an hour after Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson addressed the loss.”
The NBA has strict media availability rules during the playoffs, especially for star players, and violations in the past have resulted in financial penalties. While Wembanyama was only given a warning this time, previous incidents have resulted in hefty fines being handed down across the league.
“The NBA has fined players in the past for not speaking to the media after the playoffs,” Charania added. “In 2023, Jimmy Butler and Dillon Brooks both received $25,000 fines for not speaking to reporters.”
The timing of this only adds to the focus on Wembanyama’s absence after one of his toughest postseason performances to date. The 22-year-old scored 20 points on 4-of-15 shooting to help Oklahoma City take control of the series.
“On Tuesday, Wembanyama scored just 20 points on 4-for-15 shooting,” Charania wrote. “He got one rebound in the first half, tying the Spurs’ loss in the second half of Game 3 and becoming the player with the fewest rebounds in a half of the playoffs.”
The Thunder also successfully attacked the Spurs’ core defensively.
According to ESPN, “Oklahoma City shot 49 percent in Game 5 with Venmbanyama on the court, the highest shooting percentage the team has had against him in the playoffs.”
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson admitted after the game that the Spurs must do a better job of getting their stars into the knockout rounds.
“We need to get Wemby going,” Johnson said after the loss.
READ MORE: Becky Hammon doubles down on Jalen Brunson’s viral shot
