Victor Wembanyama's night went from bad to worse in a matter of minutes. Just hours after the San Antonio Spurs blew a 29-point lead and fell to the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the rookie phenom found himself ducking for cover—not from defenders, but from fans armed with eggs.
Video footage captured the moment Wembanyama was walking back to his hotel near Madison Square Garden late Wednesday night. As he approached the entrance, a Knicks fan hurled what appeared to be an egg at the 7'4" star, striking him in the head. The crowd of fans surrounding him can be heard shouting and jeering as the Spurs' All-Star understandably looked annoyed and frustrated.
The incident caps a night that Wembanyama would surely like to forget. Despite posting 24 points and 13 rebounds in the game, he shot just 9-of-25 from the field and missed two critical free throws in the fourth quarter. The Spurs held a commanding lead early, but the Knicks mounted a furious comeback, capped by OG Anunoby's tip-in with 1.2 seconds left to seal a 107-106 victory. Karl-Anthony Towns then thwarted the Spurs' final possession, ensuring the Knicks would escape with the win.
“Coming from 29 down or 27 down, whatever it is, it gives you the confidence to know that, OK, hey, we are never out of a game,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said after the game. “And if we’re down again, which you hope you don’t get down that much, let’s just keep fighting.”
The ugly scene outside the hotel has sparked outrage across the basketball world. Social media erupted with criticism directed at the Knicks faithful, with some fans even hoping the team suffers a historic collapse. “If any teams fan base in the history of the NBA deserves the heartbreak of 3-1 series collapse it’s the Knicks,” one user wrote. Another lifelong Knicks fan called the behavior “disgusting” and said it gives New Yorkers a bad name.
This isn't the first time fan conduct has overshadowed the NBA Finals. The intensity of the series has been palpable, with celebrities like Taylor Swift showing up in Knicks colors, and even 102 celebrities packing MSG for Game 4. But the egg-throwing incident crosses a line, raising questions about security and fan behavior at high-stakes games.
“Police gotta set a wider perimeter and not let fans get that close cause clearly these guys don’t know how to act,” a social media user commented. The league has not yet announced any disciplinary action, but the video is likely to be reviewed by NBA security.
The series now shifts to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday, with tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. ET. The Knicks hold a 3-1 lead, but the Spurs will have home-court advantage and a chance to extend the series. Meanwhile, the image of Wembanyama wiping egg off his face will serve as a stark reminder that the Finals aren't just about basketball—they're also about how fans treat the game's biggest stars.
