San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan described his postgame run-in with Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt on Wednesday as nothing more than a “polite exchange,” despite Vanderbilt poking him in the face moments after the final buzzer.
The brief confrontation occurred as both clubs left the floor following San Antonio’s 107-91 victory at Frost Bank Center on Jan. 8, 2026. According to Sochan, he may have said “something not very nice” during the game, prompting Vanderbilt to ask him to talk afterward. “I was intact and joyful; the other person wasn’t,” Sochan said. “It’s something he has to work on. It’s just life.”
Witnesses said the forwards traded words near midcourt before Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox stepped in to separate them. While Fox guided Vanderbilt away, the Lakers forward reached back with his left index finger and jabbed Sochan in the face. Spurs forward Julian Champagnie immediately shoved Vanderbilt, and Fox received help from Luka Doncic and Jaxson Hayes to calm both sides while the verbal sparring continued.
Vanderbilt did not address reporters afterward. Champagnie, eating a postgame meal at his locker, thumped his chest in support of Sochan when the incident was mentioned.
On the court, Sochan logged six points on 2-for-2 shooting with one assist in 11 minutes. Keldon Johnson fueled the Spurs’ win with 27 points off the bench, his fourth game this season with at least 25, matching the Miami Heat’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. for the league lead in such performances by a reserve.
Vanderbilt finished with four points on 2-of-6 shooting, one steal and 19 minutes of action for Los Angeles.
“I thought he competed his butt off,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said of Sochan. “He shot the ones that came to him and made them.”
The No. 9 pick in the 2022 draft has appeared in eight games as a DNP this season after starting 149 times over four years in San Antonio. With the trade deadline approaching, Sochan acknowledged he is trying to avoid speculating about his future. “This is my home,” he said, noting he has moved frequently since leaving home at 15. “The most important thing is to stay in the present, and that’s what I’m doing.”
Source: ESPN
