Victor Wembanyama’s elbowing of Naz Reid in the neck during Game 4 of the San Antonio Spurs’ second-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves could be a series-changing incident for both teams.
Wembanyama getting called for a Flagrant Foul 2 on that play resulted in him sitting out 36 minutes of the game and cost the Spurs the game and what could have been a 3-1 series lead.
Instead, the series is tied at 2-2 heading to the fifth game. Also, there was a possibility that Wemby could have been suspended for Game 5, which would have been disastrous for the Spurs, but according to Shams Charania, the NBA isn’t doing that. ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins doesn’t agree.
“Did the NBA get it right in my opinion? No, because you prioritized superstardom and views over someone’s health,” said Perkins.
A Flagrant Foul 2 does not carry an automatic suspension penalty
There is no question that what Wemby did was a dangerous move, which could have resulted in a serious injury, especially if that elbow had landed a few inches higher on Reid’s face. But alas, it didn’t, and Naz was able to continue playing and even brushed it off, saying, “pain is weakness leaving the body” after the game.
There is also nothing in the NBA rule book that says a Flagrant Foul 2 should automatically result in a suspension for the erring player. Section VII of Rule 12 of the NBA rule book merely says, “Any player who is assessed a flagrant foul — penalty 2 must be ejected and will be fined a minimum of $,2000. The incident will be reported to the League office.”
However, during the first round of the 2013 NBA playoffs, then New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith floored ex-Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry with an elbow to almost the same exact area. But although Smith’s strike landed with way less force, he was suspended for Game 4 of that series.
Dray was one of the first to protest
Not surprisingly, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green called out the NBA for its ‘preferential’ treatment of Wembanyama. Green, who has six career suspensions, is one of the most-suspended players in NBA history. He reacted to a tweet from former professional wrestler and WCW champion Glenn Gilbertti, saying that if it were Dray, folks would be asking for him to be suspended for multiple games.
“Y’all have called for my career for less,” Green tweeted by quoting “Disco Inferno” and implying the league’s double standard.
However, there’s a reason why people look at Draymond differently from Wemby. While that elbow to Reid was the first-ever Flagrant Foul called on the San Antonio Spurs superstar, Green has amassed a total of 21 flagrant fouls in his career, including swinging at Jusuf Nurkic’s head in December 2023, which resulted in him receiving an indefinite suspension where he was required to undergo counseling and therapy for anger management issues.
Meanwhile, Game 5 of the Spurs-Timberwolves series resumes on Tuesday in San Antonio. Big Perk said he expects Wemby to have a big game after costing them Game 4. But at the same time, he also thinks the Wolves will be playing with more fire after the league not only spared Wemby from a suspension, but didn’t even fine him a single cent for his blatant act.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on May 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
