The NBA has issued lifetime bans to two individuals following an incident during Game 1 of the NBA Finals. One of the offenders ran onto the court and attempted to take a selfie near San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama. The event took place midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game between the Spurs and the New York Knicks.
An NBA spokesman confirmed the arrest of the person who entered the court area, as well as the ban on both individuals, in a message to The Associated Press and other media. The second person’s involvement in the incident was undisclosed.
According to a source who wished to remain anonymous, the individual arrested was a juvenile. Reports indicated the person entered from the sideline opposite the team benches and ran into San Antonio’s offensive end. Security quickly removed the individual from the court without any apparent physical contact with Wembanyama or the Knicks players.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver commented on the situation, saying, “I even hesitate to describe that person as a fan. They seemed to have some ulterior motive for doing so.” Wembanyama reported no distress from the occurrence, recalling a past incident involving a bat in January 2024, which similarly caused a game delay.
Play resumed within 1 minute and 29 seconds after the interruption, and the intruder was escorted out via a baseline tunnel. Spurs coach Mitch Johnson downplayed the event, asserting that the focus swiftly returned to gameplay.
Silver praised the officiating crew, led by Scott Foster, for managing the disruption efficiently. He addressed fan behavior, labeling it as an unfortunate aspect of modern sports, exacerbated by increased global attention and opportunities for actions that disrupt games.
In a related incident, New York guard Jalen Brunson appeared unsettled by remarks from a fan during the game’s final minute. The league is investigating the statements made to Brunson, though he declined to comment on the matter. Teammate Josh Hart noted Brunson’s usual composure but acknowledged hearing about the incident.
Fan conduct has been a focal point for the NBA, emphasized by a memo sent to all teams at the season’s start. The league insisted on vigilant enforcement of the NBA Fan Code of Conduct to deter and address misconduct. Teams were instructed to train arena staff to identify and proactively address inappropriate behavior. A video detailing the code of conduct is broadcast in each arena before games.
The NBA stressed the importance of enforcing the Code of Conduct, as violations can impact players and fans or disrupt the game.