Since the start of the NBA Finals, Victor Wembanyama has embarked on a villain arc that nobody expected. The second-year big man is already one of the best players in the NBA. However, his approach in recent weeks has drawn significant criticism.
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However, it would appear that Wembanyama's antics haven't been limited to just the basketball court. According to The New York Post, the San Antonio Spurs star recently had a part in six New York Knicks fans getting kicked out of their $20,000 suite at the Ritz-Carlton on West 28th Street.
"Godlewski — who was with his 11 and 9-year-old sons and his friend Ron Pavalonis, and his son — wasn't told that Wemby was staying in the other penthouse suite," The New York Post reports. "When Pavalonis was entering his room around 5 p.m., he said he saw Wemby exiting his own suite — presumably on his way to Madison Square Garden, and allegedly did nothing more than greet the Spurs star player."
According to Pavalonis, all he did was wish Wembanyama luck for his upcoming game against the Knicks. Unfortunately, that was enough to cause Wembanyama to have the entire party evicted from their suite.
"I'm sorry, but you guys are going to have to leave the premises," the hotel manager allegedly told him.
"I said, 'What? Why?' And she said, 'Because we were told you were harassing and waiting for the players to exit their rooms.' ... If you don't want anyone around the Spurs, especially Victor, don't book the penthouse directly next to him. It was a huge mistake on their part."
Victor Wembanyama Didn't Shake Hands With the Knicks
If having Knicks fans ejected from a hotel wasn't enough, Wembanyama took his heel turn to a new level on Saturday, June 13. As the Knicks secured their NBA Championship on San Antonio's home floor, Wembanyama stormed off the court.
The second-year star didn't show any sportsmanship. He refused to shake hands with the Knicks players after the game. Wembanyama then followed that up by giving a sharp interview in his postgame news conference.
Wembanyama has all the talent to become the next face of the NBA. However, if he wants that to happen, he will need to work on his etiquette and how he navigates encounters with fans. Especially when those fans have paid to be there.
