San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama ruffled some feathers by leaving the court before shaking hands with his opponents after the New York Knick bested the Spurs in five games in the 2026 NBA Finals.
At least one Knicks player took umbrage with Wembanyama’s lack of sportsmanship.
Jose Alvarado Calls Out Victor Wembanyama for Not Shaking Hands After NBA Finals
During a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club, Knicks reserve guard Jose Alvarado lamented the lack of sportsmanship shown by Wembanyama following Game 5 of the Finals.
“I’ve got mixed emotions. I’m a competitor too, but also I stare my enemies down,” Alvarado said. “I look forward to them, I shake their hand. Obviously, it’s a game. You don’t like the moment, you lost probably the biggest game of your career, but you’re going to have more moments.
“And I feel like the way he did it was a little too crazy for me because I loved how he competes during the game. Obviously, people didn’t like how he was being aggressive, but bro, we fighting for something. Between the lines, I feel like anything is cool. Outside the lines, shake your hand, you know, shake hands and call it what it is.”
There is no rule that NBA players have to shake hands with the opposition after the game, but it is kind of an unwritten rule of sportsmanship, which Wembanyama clearly broke.
Jalen Brunson Took the Opposite Approach After NBA Finals
Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson took the opposite approach after the series, as he sought out and embraced Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson immediately after New York bested San Antonio, at the same time that Wembanyama walked off of the floor.
“I hugged and said what’s up to Coach Johnson from the Spurs first, just to show respect… It was just kind of instinct, like how I was raised,” Brunson said. “I think win or loss, you show respect regardless of the outcome. I’ve got a lot of respect for them over there.”
While this quote from Brunson wasn’t necessarily meant as a knock on Wembanyama, it certainly didn’t make him look great by comparison. Granted, it’s easier to show sportsmanship after winning the NBA Finals as opposed to losing them, but Wembanyama still could have made an effort to show respect for the team that bested him.
Knicks Player Calls out Victor Wembanyama for Lack of Sportsmanship After NBA Finals