The 2026 NBA Finals Game 1 had all the drama. Victor Wembanyama arrived at the Finals fresh off a Western Conference Finals MVP award, having torched the Thunder all series long.
Game 1 at Frost Bank Center did not go as scripted. The Knicks stormed back from 14 down in the third quarter, outpaced San Antonio in the fourth, and walked away with a 105-95 win to steal home-court advantage right out of the gate.
Victor Wembanyama’s Game 1 NBA Finals Stats: What Went Wrong
Massive Hate Erupts Toward Victor Wembanyama After Spurs Lose Game 1 to Knicks
Wembanyama finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, which on paper looks decent. But he shot just 6-of-21 from the field, and both Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson made life difficult for him all night.
The Knicks capitalized hard during stretches when Wembanyama rested, outscoring San Antonio on multiple runs in the second half.
Jalen Brunson took over in the fourth with 13 of his 30 points, and that was that. New York extended its winning streak to 12 games, and the narrative around Wembanyama shifted quickly. Social media wasted no time.
NBA Twitter Reacts to Wembanyama’s Performance in Game 1
GettyMassive Hate Targets Victor Wembanyama Following Spurs’ Disappointing Game 1 Loss
One fan compared him unfavorably to a young LeBron: “And ni**as swore up and down wemby at 22 was better than LeBron at 22. Give 22 year old LeBron this spurs roster he’s winning his first finals. Trash a** ni**a getting locked up by ‘Mitchell Robinson'”
Another user took issue with his foul-drawing tendencies: “Spurs got all the calls tonight and still wemby choked. Such a dirty diva. Hes only good when he gets every call in his favor. KAT is a far better player…”
A fan questioned his rebounding struggles: “Is @wemby gonna show up to the finals or nah..? U got out rebounded by josh hart. … Trash a** team”
One user had a complicated take: “Wemby is supposed to be this ‘generation talent’ A fraud… but I still Hate the Knicks”
Another kept it short: “Knicks in 6. Wemby is a fraud”
One fan questioned the best player label: “The wemby is consensus best player take has to look foolish ? … he might get exposed this finals bc he’s getting pushed around…”
Someone simply put it in four words: “Wemby f***ng choked I hate it here”
Another went after his size-to-production ratio: “…now we’re forced to watch the softest dude in history wemby stink it up he’s not an all time great he’s trash!!! He’s soft he gets guarded by guards he’s 8ft!!! Su**!!”
One fan made the Brunson vs. Wembanyama ring debate official: “A Brunson ring is better than a Wemby ring I’m not trying to hear Wemby being overrated and called the goat cause he got a ring at 22”
A fan post made the rounds heavily after the loss: “Victor Wembanyama was destroyed 1-on-1 … He’s the 6th worst isolation defender in the entire playoffs.”
One game does not define a series, and Wembanyama has shown enough this postseason to earn the benefit of the doubt. But a 6-of-21 shooting night in his NBA Finals debut, on his home floor, while getting outplayed by a banged-up Mitchell Robinson, gives the Knicks every reason to feel confident heading into Game 2.
Victor Wembanyama Receives Massive Hate After Spurs’ Game 1 NBA Finals Loss