Jose Alvarado Sounds Off On Victor Wembanyama Refusing To Shake Hands With Knicks

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama wasn't interested in shaking hands with the New York Knicks after the NBA Finals came to an end last Saturday. It was a decision that didn't sit well with his peers.

After the Knicks won their first title since 1973, Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green called out Wembanyama on his podcast. He actually shared an interesting stance on why skipping postgame handshakes is a bad look.

"If I'm mad because I lost, do something about it. But the time to do it something about it actually isn't to walk off the court because you had a chance to do something about it and you lost," Green said. "So to walk off the court to me it ain't about sportsmanship. That's about we just looked each other in the eyes five, six, seven games in a row. And now that I beat you, you're afraid to look me in my eyes. Remember what I said? If you leave, I own you."

ESPN analyst Alan Hahn also criticized Wembanyama for snubbing the Knicks after they closed out the series.

"What's also soft is him walking off the court and not shaking hands with the guy that just took a ring from him, that taught him how to win," Hahn said. "One day, when Wemby wins a championship, he should remember and acknowledge what Jalen Brunson taught him in this series."

Were the Knicks offended by Wembanyama's actions?

During an appearance on 105.1 FM's "The Breakfast Club," Knicks guard Jose Alvarado was asked about Wembanyama refusing to shake hands.

Alvarado made it clear that he loved the competitiveness that Wembanyama displayed on the hardwood. That being said, he believes the former No. 1 pick should've shown respect once the series was over.

"I got mixed emotions," Alvarado said. "I'm a competitor too, but I stare my enemy down, I shake their hand. You don't like the moment, but you'll have more moments in the future. I feel like the way he did it was a little too crazy for me because I loved how he competed during the game. We're fighting for something. Between the lines, it's cool. Outside of the lines, shake their hands."

It's hard to argue with that response from Alvarado.

We'll see if Wembanyama fires back at the Knicks later this offseason.

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This story was originally published June 20, 2026 at 4:00 PM.