Before the start of the NBA Finals, a number of analysts and reporters anointed Victor Wembanyama as the new “face of the NBA.”
They had plenty of reasons to do so. Wembanyama is only 22-years-old. At 7-foot-4 with guard-like ball-handling skills and a smooth jump shot, he is unlike any player the NBA has ever produced. He also led the Spurs to the NBA Finals in just his third professional season.
But through four games, with the Knicks holding a commanding 3-1 series lead, Wembanyama has done little to justify the hype. Instead, it has become increasingly clear that he was crowned too soon.
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In each of San Antonio’s three losses, Wembanyama has struggled in the biggest moments. In Game 1, he became passive in the second half and finished just 6-of-21 from the field. In Game 2, a costly turnover and poor shot selection on consecutive possessions helped seal the Spurs’ fate. He bounced back with a strong performance in Game 3, only to shoot 36% from the field in Game 4 as San Antonio squandered a historic 29-point lead. He also missed two crucial free throws late in the game, opening the door for New York to steal the win.
“If you’re going to be doing all the yapping, all the clapping, the taunting, when the game is on the line and you’ve got the biggest free throws of your career, you can’t brick them both,” ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon said after the game. “He wants to be the face of the league, but there’s pressure that comes along with it. When the pressure was highest, he failed.”
MacMahon’s criticism reflects a broader issue. Wembanyama has embraced the villain role, engaging in trash talk, hard fouls and flagrant-worthy play. He welcomes the attention and the spotlight. Yet when the pressure has mounted, he has not backed up the persona.
Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after shooting a three point basket. and being fouled during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 08, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Wembanyama has also drawn attention for his willingness to use his platform to express his discontent with the U.S. government.
In January, he accused U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents of “murdering” civilians.
“Yeah, PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give some politically correct answer,” Wembanyama told reporters who asked him about unrest following the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
“Every day I wake up and see the news, and I’m horrified. I think it’s crazy that some people might make it seem like, or make it sound like, the murder of civilians is acceptable.”
For the record, “murder” is a legal term. The agents involved in the shootings were never charged with murder.
During the Finals, Wembanyama has also appeared to make a statement during the national anthem. Before Game 1, cameras showed him standing with his arms crossed during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” OutKick asked his management team and the Spurs for an explanation. Was the gesture intended as a statement? Neither responded.
OutKick also asked President Donald Trump about Wembanyama’s anthem posture aboard Air Force One after Game 1. Trump said he had not seen the moment but suggested someone should ask Wembanyama what he meant by it.
Unfortunately, no credentialed reporter appears to have asked him.
Victor Wembanyama stands with his arms crossed during the national anthem before Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. (Adam Pantozzi/NBAE)
As attention around the story grew, Wembanyama reportedly remained in the locker room during the national anthem before either Game 3 or Game 4 at Madison Square Garden.
The last thing the NBA needs right now is for Wembanyama to be the latest wannabe activist.
The league is finally recovering from a turbulent decade during which television ratings dropped by nearly 48% as many of its most prominent players, coaches and executives increasingly inserted themselves into partisan political debates. In recent years, the NBA has attempted to distance itself from that image.
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This week, Commissioner Adam Silver welcomed President Trump to Game 3 of the Finals, signaling a league that appears more interested in broadening its appeal than engaging in political theater.
The strategy appears to be paying off. A less political NBA, combined with the New York Knicks chasing their first championship since 1973, has helped generate some of the strongest Finals interest in years.
“For a decade LeBron, Silver, Popovich and Kerr ridiculed Trump voters and Republicans. That has now ended. It’s a return to the Jordan, ‘Republicans buy sneakers too,’ era. Smart business and good for sports culture too. Good decisions get rewarded, bad decisions get punished,” Clay Travis argued this week.
Wembanyama now risks undermining much of that newfound goodwill. And, at the risk of sounding like Skip Bayless, he may lack the clutch gene.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs reacts during the second quarter against the New York Knicks in Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden in New York City on June 8, 2026. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images)
Suddenly, Wembanyama looks far less like the ideal candidate to lead the NBA into the post-LeBron James and Steph Curry era.
In the span of just two weeks, Wembanyama has gone from an engrossing basketball phenomenon to, as Jason Whitlock called him, an overprotected punk.
“Victor Wembanyama is a punk and possibly the most protected player in the history of sports,” Whitlock argued.
A punk who hasn’t shown he knows how to win.
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Of course, there is still plenty of time. Wembanyama is only 22-years-old. LeBron James didn’t win his first championship until age 27. Michael Jordan didn’t win his first title until 28.
Wembanyama may still become the “face of the NBA” someday. But he isn’t there yet. Not based on how he has responded when the pressure has been greatest.
He isn’t ready for that title or responsibility. He isn’t good enough. He isn’t mature enough.
Not yet, anyway.
