The San Antonio Spurs may have lost the NBA Finals, but Victor Wembanyama is taking an even bigger hit off the court. The 22-year-old phenom is being labeled a sore loser by ESPN analysts after a series of actions that rubbed fans and critics the wrong way.
Wembanyama put up impressive numbers—averaging 26.0 points and 11.2 rebounds per game—but his behavior during and after the Finals has overshadowed his stats. Following the Knicks' championship-clinching Game 5 win, Wembanyama made headlines by refusing to shake hands with New York players and then claiming the Spurs had "absolutely dominated" the series, despite losing it.
On Monday's episode of Get Up, ESPN's Jay Williams didn't hold back. "I think there was a lot of pettiness. Words like arrogance come up. I think being a sore loser comes up," Williams said. "That's a sign of somebody who is 22 years old… to be frank with you, it's watching someone become the villain."
Williams wasn't alone. Longtime MSG Network analyst Alan Hahn also called out Wembanyama for walking off the court without shaking hands. "What's also soft is him walking off the court and not shaking hands with the guy that just took a ring from him, that taught him how to win," Hahn said. "One day, when Wemby wins a championship, he should remember and acknowledge what Jalen Brunson taught him in this series."
The criticism echoes sentiments from earlier in the series, when Tiki Barber unleashed on a 'cocky' Wembanyama, saying he deserved to get punked. Meanwhile, Wembanyama's controversial play—including a 'dirty' knee-banger that drew over 1 million views—only added fuel to the fire.
Wembanyama himself tried to spin the loss as a learning experience. "It's painful," he said. "But I'm not running away from that. I'm using it to fuel me. I'm sure all these guys you named, they're not satisfied with being eliminated in the earlier rounds or not making the playoffs. I'm not satisfied with not winning. This is the biggest lesson of my life. As a team, there's no better experience than what we just lived."
But critics argue his actions contradict those words. The Spurs' historic collapse—which revived comparisons to the Falcons' 28-3 nightmare—has put the entire organization under scrutiny. Wembanyama's behavior, however, has made him a lightning rod.
If the young star is trying to embrace a villain role, he's doing a stellar job. But that villain label will likely come with a price: a giant target on his back heading into the 2026-27 season. Whether he uses that as motivation or lets it consume him remains to be seen.
