Victor Wembanyama's arrogant laugh after Jaden McDaniels face contact raises questions in playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Western Conference Semifinals between the San Antonio Spurs and Minnesota Timberwolves have been highly physical from tip-off. After Victor Wembanyama was ejected in Game 4 for elbowing Naz Reid on the road, folks watched closely to see how he would respond in Game 5 back in San Antonio.
He did not disappoint in terms of adding points to the scoreboard. Wembanyama scored a solid 18 points in the first quarter alone, finishing with an impressive 27 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists to lead the Spurs to a dominant 126-97 blowout and a 3-2 series lead.
Game 5 remained physical. A video clip from the game went viral online after Wembanyama hit Jaden McDaniels in the face during a defensive scrum. Unlike the Game 4 incident, referees called it a common foul and play continued.
But what the cameras caught next has left everyone scratching their heads because Wemby was seen smiling right after the contact. Folks didn't stay quiet online. His arrogant laughter has raised significant eyebrows across the community.
"Wemby has exposed himself," one fan wrote.
"Wemby is so hard to root for & too easy to despise," added another fan.
A third called him "phony, arrogant, and a hypocrite."
The fourth viewer remarked, "POS. Can't win clean. Loser."
A random X user penned, "He is a dirty player!!"
However, Game 5 remained physical from the jump, producing multiple tense exchanges on the court. In the first quarter, Wembanyama got tangled up with McDaniels. Right after, Minnesota guard Ayo Dosunmu walked over to talk trash and gave Wembanyama a small shove.
Wembanyama ignored it but after the game, Wemby said he felt rage baiting was part of Minnesota's strategy. The physical play continued later in the game when Wembanyama turned the ball over and McDaniels pushed him again, which many described as a "friendly shove."
The Spurs can advance to the Western Conference Finals to face the Oklahoma City Thunder with a win in Game 6 on Friday night in Minneapolis. How the league and referees handle the ongoing physical play and whether Wembanyama keeps his cool will likely heavily decide who wins the series.
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