Victor Wembanyama has reached his breaking point.
The San Antonio Spurs standout confronted Ivica Zubac after the Los Angeles Clippers center sent him crashing to the floor during a heated matchup that ended with a 128-116 victory for the Clippers on Wednesday night.
Wembanyama’s frustration, stemming from what he perceives as a lack of respect and calls from referees, boiled over late in the third quarter and spilled into his postgame comments.
“So … it’s not even about Zubac,” Wembanyama remarked. “It’s just frustration, no matter who it was.”
When directly asked about receiving fair treatment from officials, Wembanyama bluntly stated, “No.”
The shove from Zubac was merely the latest example of the rough treatment Wembanyama has faced on the court.
Earlier in the quarter, Zubac had expressed his own frustration at the officials for not calling a foul on Harrison Barnes after the Spurs forward blocked his layup. The tension peaked when Wembanyama blocked Zubac’s dunk attempt with 4:49 left in the third, and no foul was assessed.
Feeling the heat, Zubac flailed his arms in exasperation and was slow to respond as Barnes hit a 3-pointer, narrowing the Clippers’ lead to 85-78. In a rush to assert himself, Zubac delivered a hard hip check and elbow to Wembanyama’s back, sending him sprawling to the baseline.
Wembanyama, regaining his composure, charged at Zubac but was restrained by Spurs coaches and teammates who rushed onto the court as Clippers coach Ty Lue called a timeout.
“I reacted a little,” Zubac later explained. “I thought I got fouled (on the previous play). I was mad at the refs. I saw Wemby crashing, so I knew I had to box him out. I bumped him a little harder. I let emotions take over a little bit, but I apologized to him. That’s not the way I want to compete.”
Zubac ended the game with impressive stats, scoring 21 points and grabbing 22 rebounds, while Wembanyama contributed 23 points and 12 rebounds.
Despite the shove, officials did not call a foul on Zubac, nor did they penalize Wembanyama with a technical foul, and the play went unreviewed.
This lack of officiating left Wembanyama and the Spurs visibly upset.
“I thought there were a few plays that should have been addressed earlier,” stated San Antonio acting head coach Mitch Johnson. “You’ll get reactions like that. It’s probably surprising he hasn’t reacted like that sooner. He faces a lot of contact, and at some point, he has to protect himself if those overseeing the game aren’t doing so.”
Wembanyama acknowledged the ongoing challenge of dealing with the physicality he faces as teams try to counter his unique skills, including shooting 3-pointers and dribbling like a guard.
“So it’s a hard thing to fight because it feels unfair sometimes,” Wembanyama said. “But we discuss it with the staff, and I have to work on being stronger and not bailing out shots. I also need to communicate with the refs. But for me, it doesn’t feel like something I should have to influence. I’m a basketball player, I’m here to play, and this is why it’s frustrating. It’s not my job to handle the politics.”
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