The fan who invaded the court during Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks to take a photo with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been arrested and will be banned from all NBA venues for life, ESPN reports.
The incident that interrupted play in the final quarter of the New York Knicks' 105-95 victory happened with the Knicks leading 92-86 and with 6:28 remaining. The fan ran onto the court with a smartphone in his hand, stopped in front of Wembanyama and New York center Mitchell Robinson near the three-point line, but was immediately pushed away by two security guards as he tried to take a picture with the basketball players.
“I've never been in a situation like this. I didn't know how to react. I was really surprised, almost as much as the time a bat flew across the hall (in January 2024, before a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves)“, Wembanyama explained.
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said the incident was nothing serious, saying: “I don't think it was an event. The guards escorted him out and everyone continued on to the next game.“
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver described the incident as “a part of all sports“ and warned fans that the consequences would be “dramatic“ if they committed such a violation.
The NBA Finals are set to play Game 2 in San Antonio, with the New York Knicks leading the series 1-0. The second game begins at 03:30 a.m. Bulgarian time on Saturday, with the Spurs hosting.