San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama was one of several players who called out New York Knicks fans for their behavior following the team’s 115-111 loss to the Spurs in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
After the game, several videos circulated on the internet of Knicks fans perpetrating acts of physical violence against Spurs fans. Additionally, over 20 Knicks fans were initially arrested for clashing with police officers after the event.
Victor Wembanyama Labels Behavior of Knicks Fans as ‘Unacceptable’
Wembanyama didn’t see the videos of violence initially, but when he was informed of them, he quickly condemned the acts and called for respect among fans.
“My thoughts of course [are] that we can’t forget it’s a game,” Wembanyama said. “We’re just playing a game out there. I am all for passion, but [with] the respect of each other. It’s unacceptable.”
Spurs forward Julian Champagnie echoed this sentiment.
“It’s just not necessary,” Champagnie said. “No one should be coming to the game and getting assaulted like that. It’s not what we’re promoting. It’s not what we’re playing for.”
Players on both sides of the table spoke up to denounce the behavior as Knicks star center Karl-Anthony Towns shared a similar message for fans who were taking things too far.
“The game is built off of respect and passion,” Towns said. “We want everyone to respect each other. We want everyone to enjoy basketball at its purest state. It’s the NBA Finals. There’s no better place to watch basketball. Leave the physicality to everyone on the court.”
Of course all the players are correct here. Having passion for your team is one thing, but turning that passion into rage and acts of physical or verbal violence is not the way to go. And quite frankly, it’s embarrassing for the Knicks fanbase as a whole.
Zohran Mamdani’s Message to Knicks Fans
The situation became so serious that even the Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, released a statement through a spokesperson stating that such behavior simply wouldn’t be tolerated moving forward.
“New Yorkers are understandably passionate about the Knicks, and the overwhelming majority of fans watched the game last night in ways that were both safe and fun,” said Mamdani. “But the fights and other disruptive incidents — including assaults on police officers — in various parts of the city are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
We’ll see if Knicks fans throughout the city of New York display better behavior following Game 4 on Wednesday night.
Victor Wembanyama Calls Out Knicks Fans for Behavior After Game 3 Loss