Sports

Fan Who Stormed Court for Wemby Selfie Rightfully Gets the Stiffest of Punishments From NBA

By Brigid Kennedy Sports Illustrated

Hopefully, the fan who ran onto the court during Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wendesday night enjoyed whatever time he had in the arena. Because he won't be attending another basketball game any time soon.

In the wake of the individual's headline-making stunt, which saw him rush onto the hardwood for a selfie with Victor Wembanyama, the NBA has banned him from all league arenas for life. He was also arrested, per Associated Press reporter Tim Reynolds.

A league spokesman added that "a second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident."

The shocking debacle happened during the game's fourth quarter, with 6:28 left on the clock and New York up by six points. The players were down on San Antonio's side of the court when the fan burst into the action, phone in hand. He ran right up to Wembanyama-who looked confused, but was smiling-before the whistle blew and security quickly ushered the fan out of the way.

Here is another angle of the moment:

Whatever film the fan managed to capture soon leaked online. The results are ... quite hilarious, seeing as Wemby's face was barely in the frame.

The Spurs star seemed relatively unruffled after the fact, though, even if it was an totally new experience for him.

"I've never been in that situation," Wemby calmly told reporters, postgame. "I didn't know how to act. It really surprised me. Almost as much as that time where a bat crashed the court." (That, you'll recall, happened during a game against the Timberwolves in January 2024.)

For his part, Spurs coach Mitch Johnson also seemed to think the fan incident was a nonissue.

"I don't think it was an event at all," Johnson said. "I thought security got him out of there. I think everybody moved on to the next play."

Hopefully, none of these coaches or players are in a situation like that again. Do not be like this fan, folks. A five-second video is nowhere near worth it.

More NBA Finals from Sports Illustrated



This article was originally published on www.si.com as Fan Who Stormed Court for Wemby Selfie Rightfully Gets the Stiffest of Punishments From NBA.

Copyright ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 9:05 AM.

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