NBA bans fan for life after on-court selfie attempt during Finals
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San Antonio, TX — The NBA has issued a lifetime ban to a spectator who sprinted onto the court with 6:28 left in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, trying to snap a selfie with San Antonio Spurs rookie star Victor Wembanyama.
League officials said Thursday that the individual was arrested at Frost Bank Center and will be barred from every NBA arena. A second person accused of helping to orchestrate the incident will receive the same punishment, according to the announcement.
ESPN reported that the fan, carrying a cellphone, reached the area between Wembanyama and New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson before arena security intervened. The disruption halted play briefly; referees later resumed action with a jump ball, and the Knicks finished on an 11-0 run to secure a 105-95 victory.
“I’ve never been in that situation. I didn’t know how to act,” the 22-year-old Wembanyama told reporters, adding that the encounter reminded him of a prior game in which a bat flew across the court.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the detained fan is a juvenile but withheld further details due to legal restrictions.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson downplayed the episode, saying, “I don’t think it was an event at all. I thought security got him out of there. I think everybody moved on to the next play.”
For the fan, however, moving on means a permanent absence from NBA venues.
Source: Hoops Wire
