NBA Levies 5-Figure Fine on Victor Wembanyama for Denying Jalen Brunson on Career Night

Victor Wembanyama is in the headlines once again. This time, however, not for his otherworldly talents. In what was the rookie’s first controversy, he tossed the game ball into the strands after a 130-126 overtime win over the New York Knicks on Friday night. The problem is that Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 61 points in the loss to go along with his 4 rebounds and 1 steal for the game. And with the game ball now with a fan, Wemby essentially denied Brunson his rightful souvenir. While there was not much drama over the game ball, the NBA has decided to intervene.

Joe Dumars, the executive vice president and head of basketball operations of the NBA, announced that the San Antonio Spurs big man will be fined $25,000 for “throwing the game ball into the spectator stands.”

To be fair to Wemby, he also had a career-defining game, lighting the scoreboards with his 40 points, 20 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one block. His stellar performance earned him a place in the record books, making him only the second player after DeMarcus Cousins to achieve that feat. Boogie tallied 44 points, 23 rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, and one block in Jan. 2018. Moreover, with the win, the Spurs extended their winning streak to three, their first this season. So, it’s only fair that no one got the game ball.

And while this game ball drama ended with only a seemingly unhappy Brunson, the same cannot be said for an earlier episode of game ball theatrics this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo-Indiana Pacers game ball drama

In December last year, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 140-126 win against the Pacers with his career-high 64 points. In doing so, he etched his name in the annals of Milwaukee Bucks lore, surpassing legends like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Marques Johnson, Ray Allen, and Michael Redd to claim the franchise’s single-game scoring record. However, the aftermath of this historic feat sparked more buzz than the performance itself.

After a career night, it is understandable that Antetokounmpo wanted to keep the game ball. However, on the other side of the court, the Pacers assistant coach wanted to give it to two-way rookie Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored his first NBA point, since those players traditionally get a game ball. This led to an animated discussion between Giannis and Pacers’ guard Tyrese Haliburton, followed by the Greek Freak racing to the Pacers’ locker room to get the ball.

Despite the confusion, the Bucks’ forward did get a ball. But according to him, it did not feel like the real game ball. But for all the drama, Haliburton later revealed that it was a case of misunderstanding. “And I think one of our assistants, Mike Weinar, had the basketball — had a basketball, not the basketball, a basketball. And he walked off with it and I think Giannis saw it…We took the backup ball to give to our rookie who scored his first points. … We never had the (game) ball. The ball was never in our possession,” Haliburton said on JJ Redick’s The Old Man and the Three podcast. Ultimately, Oscar went home with the backup ball, while Giannis rightfully got the game ball.

Read More: Victor Wembanyama Bows Down to San Antonio’s Persistence After 40/20 Night in Win vs Knicks