A fan who ran onto the court during Game 1 of the NBA Finals and attempted to take a selfie with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been arrested and banned from all arenas for life, according to the league.
The incident occurred with 6:28 remaining in Wednesday night’s game between the Spurs and Knicks at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio.
According to ESPN, the fan sprinted onto the court holding a cellphone and made his way toward Wembanyama before being stopped by security personnel. The individual briefly reached the area near Wembanyama and Knicks center Mitchell Robinson before being escorted away.
The interruption temporarily halted play during what eventually became a 105-95 Knicks victory.
The NBA announced Thursday that the fan received a lifetime ban from all league arenas. A second individual will reportedly receive the same punishment for assisting in the incident.
Wembanyama appeared more surprised than upset afterward.
“I’ve never been in that situation,” the Spurs star told reporters. “I didn’t know how to act.”
The 22-year-old added that the encounter reminded him of another unusual moment from earlier in his career when a bat flew across the court before a game.
Following the delay, officials also had to sort out a loose-ball situation that occurred moments before the fan entered the playing surface. After a brief discussion, referees awarded a jump ball at center court before play resumed.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office later confirmed the fan involved was a juvenile but declined to provide additional details because of legal restrictions.
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson downplayed the entire episode.
“I don’t think it was an event at all,” Johnson said. “I thought security got him out of there. I think everybody moved on to the next play.”
The Knicks, meanwhile, moved on quite well.
New York closed the game on an 11-0 run to steal Game 1 and take an early lead in the NBA Finals.
As for the fan, his Finals experience appears to be over for good.
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