Kevin Garnett Criticizes Victor Wembanyama for Crying After WCF Win
The San Antonio Spurs are set to open the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks on Wednesday after securing a thrilling Game 7 victory over the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.
Following the win, Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama went viral for showing his emotions. Wembanyama was seen crying after the hard-fought series, having secured a berth in his first NBA Finals appearance.
Not everyone agreed with the reaction, however. One of those critics was NBA legend Kevin Garnett.
"Crying in the [expletive] Western Conference Finals. That was too emotional for me," Garnett said. "He got four more games to try to get. You gotta go to the Finals now. ou still have to stay even-keeled right here.. And that trophy, that’s cool, but I got a whole other sight … That’s how bad they wanted to beat OKC.”
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Earlier this season, Wembanyama faced some criticism for showing emotion after a comeback victory and was asked why displays of emotion are sometimes frowned upon in sports.
"That's a tough question. I think it's first and foremost a fear of judgment, like this feeling that you have to act a certain way - social codes, I guess," Wembanyama said. "Personally, I refuse to carry the burden of having to hide my emotions."
One of the biggest criticisms of today’s NBA is that some players don’t seem to give maximum effort every night, whether that’s because of their play on the court or the increasing trend of players sitting out games, which has become a major talking point around the league.
That’s why someone like Wembanyama openly showing how much winning means to him can be viewed as a breath of fresh air.
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 7:08 AM.