The NBA has come down hard on the individuals involved in one of the strangest moments from Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
A fan who ran onto the court during the fourth quarter of the New York Knicks’ 105-95 win over the San Antonio Spurs has been arrested and permanently banned from every NBA arena. A second person connected to the incident has also received a lifetime ban.
The disruption occurred with 6:28 remaining in the game as New York held a six-point lead. The fan sprinted onto the floor with a cellphone in hand and made his way toward Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama before security intervened.
Following the game, Wembanyama admitted he had no idea how to react in the moment.
“I’ve never been in that situation,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t know how to act. It really surprised me, almost as much as that time [when] a bat crossed the court.”
Television replays showed the Spurs star looking confused before security quickly removed the intruder from the floor.
The NBA wasted little time issuing punishment.
“A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident,” an NBA spokesperson said.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the situation on Thursday and made it clear the league had no tolerance for fans entering the playing surface.
“I even hesitate to describe that person as a fan,” Silver said, after attending a community service event in San Antonio. “They seemed to have an ulterior motive for doing so. … The other side of the coin of global attention is that somebody realizes there’s an enormous platform to do stupid things. … They will be banned for life, not just from [Frost Bank Center] but every arena in the NBA. The consequences are dramatic if you do this.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson, however, didn’t see the incident as a major storyline.
“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.”
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