ESPN Star Defends Victor Wembanyama's Actions After Spurs Lost Finals

After a huge Game 3 win in New York City saved the San Antonio Spurs from NBA Finals elimination, the Knicks responded with an embarrassing 29-point comeback win in Game 4, followed by a 94-90 win in Game 5 to claim the championship.

It was a tough moment for many of the Spurs, who feature 22-year-old basketball phenom Victor Wembanyama, rookie Dylan Harper, and last season’s NBA Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle.

Immediately once the buzzer sounded, the Knicks celebrated on the Spurs’ home court with one another, family, friends, and celebrity superfans, before partaking in the trophy presentation.

However, Wemby and his teammates drew criticism for not congratulating the Knicks on the floor, instead leaving for the locker room while the winning squad celebrated their big moment.

More news:Adam Silver Makes Strong Statement on Victor Wembanyama Amid NBA Finals

According to ESPN‘s NBA analyst, Jay Williams, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with what Wemby did after losing Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He gave his honest assessment of the situation during “First Take” on Monday.

“Shaking hands is what you do when you’re in the little leagues. When you’re in JV. When you’re trying to teach about ‘Treat the game the right way,'” Williams told his co-stars.

“I don’t believe that NBA players have to shake hands. Why do I have to do that?” Williams asked. “I don’t have to do it because everybody does it. Like nobody did make it a rule.”

He called it “one of the worst rules for professional sports” that players need to go shake opponents’ hands after they lost a game, or they get berated for not doing so.

“I don’t need to like you. I don’t get paid to like you. I get paid to compete against you, to win championships, so there’s no prerequisite when the game’s over,” Williams said on ESPN.

Wembanyama seemed distrought about the loss at his postgame press conference, expressing that he felt it was a powerful learning experience for him and his teammates, having pushed so far in this playoff run.

Based on his reaction, Wemby seems to be embracing the pain and emotional turmoil of a loss, possibly so he can get better and come back stronger for the Spurs’ future runs. It’s hard to imagine a team of this caliber with three young emerging stars won’t be back amongst the contending teams once again during the NBA season.

More news:Draymond Green Calls Spurs' Victor Wembanyama ‘a Bit Dirty' Amid NBA Finals

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This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 9:23 AM.