There was an early surprise for NBA fans Sunday, as the Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama was ejected in the second quarter of Game 4 after elbowing the Timerwolves’ Naz Reid in the head. The NBA decided on Monday that the San Antonio superstar will not face any additional discipline from the league, and is eligible to play in Game 5 Tuesday. This decision comes to the chagrin of Minnesota fans, but is a massive victory for NBA fans in general. Wembanyama doesn’t have a history of flagrant fouls or similar behavior in the NBA. The foul itself doesn’t warrant a lengthy suspension, and fans deserve to see stars in the postseason.
Why A Suspension Isn’t Necessary For Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama
There is one primary factor that played into the decision to not suspend Wembanyama. He doesn’t have a track record of flagrant fouls, which makes his ejection fundamentally different from Metta World Peace’s ejection and subsequent suspension in 2012. The player formerly known as Ron Artest had a lengthy history of letting his emotions get the best of him, with the most notorious event coming in “Malice at the Palace”, an incident that saw NBA players fighting fans in one of the darkest moments in league history. Wembanyama has a sterling reputation by comparison, so his Flagrant 2 foul doesn’t warrant a suspension.
What made Wembanyama’s ejection stand out is that Flagrant 2 fouls committed by superstars in the NBA Playoffs isn’t common. Only two other players since 2021 have committed such fouls, Nikola Jokic and Draymond Green (whose track record for antagonizing opponents isn’t that different from Artest’s). In fact, the call is so rare that Wembanyama allegedly didn’t even know what a Flagrant 2 foul meant. Rare, fluke fouls should not be the things that decide playoff series, and suspensions aren’t usually necessary in these cases.
Playoff Star Power
Superstars shouldn’t have free reign to do whatever they want in the postseason, but the fouls need to be egregious and have ill intent to warrant a suspension, which Wembanyama’s foul had neither. By the letter of the law, he had to be ejected from the game due to the forcible contact to the head, but it’s not contact that’s worthy of a suspension. It’s unfortunate for Reid to be caught in that position, but an ejection is an adequate punishment for what transpired. The NBA Playoffs are better when superstars are playing in them, and Wembanyama hasn’t done enough to disqualify himself from competing in the postseason.
Final Thoughts On Wembanyama’s Foul
Referees have a delicate balance they have to maintain over the course of the NBA Playoffs. They have to keep players from carrying their emotions and intensity after the whistle in a high-pressure environment, while simultaneously maintaining the integrity of the game and making calls in a way that doesn’t diminish the product. Jaylen Brown was out of line, but his complaints show what happens when officials aren’t perceived to be legitimate. This is a difficult job for the best of officials, but they made the correct call with the Flagrant 2, and Wembanyama isn’t deserving of a suspension at this time.
