The NBA has issued lifetime bans to two individuals following a disruptive incident during Game 1 of the NBA Finals, where a fan ran onto the court and attempted to take a selfie with San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
The intrusion occurred midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday night's game between the Spurs and the New York Knicks. The fan entered the court from the sideline opposite the team benches and ran towards the Spurs' offensive end before being apprehended by security. No physical contact was made with any players.
An NBA spokesman confirmed the bans in a statement, noting that the individual who entered the court was arrested and will be banned from all NBA arenas for life. A second individual also received a lifetime ban for their role in the incident, though specific details were not disclosed.
Play was halted for one minute and 29 seconds before resuming with a jump ball. Wembanyama appeared unfazed, stating, "I've never been in that situation. I didn't know how to act." Spurs coach Mitch Johnson downplayed the event, saying, "I don't think it was an event at all. I thought security got him out of there."
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday night, with the Spurs aiming to level the series after losing the opening game.
