Victor Wembanyama earned his first career ejection Sunday night after elbowing Minnesota Timberwolves center Naz Reid in the face. The young star acted contrary to his reputation as a cool and calm player. Throughout the playoffs and even in the regular season, Wembanyama has faced grueling defense, including no-calls that could have injured him. He had swallowed his feelings and not lashed out until Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
What Victor Wembanyama’s Ejection Means For Him
How Guilty is Wemby?
The greatest UFC fighter of all time, Jon Jones, has only lost one fight in his career for an illegal twelve-to-six elbow. Unfortunately for Wemby, all elbows are illegal in the NBA. After being double-teamed by both Reid and Jaden McDaniels, Wembanyama slowly turned and sent Reid to the floor with his arm.
Victor Wembanyama was given a flagrant 2 for this elbow on Naz Reid. pic.twitter.com/nYszYUspwJ
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) May 11, 2026
Moments later, having never been in this situation before, Wembanyama waited on the bench as the referees conferred. With the announcement that Wembanyama had been given a flagrant two foul, he turned to Harrison Barnes, unsure of what that meant.
The situation was undeniably absurd. The NBA’s future face, a young man who has mostly avoided controversy and has a reputation as a kind, intelligent person, laid a 265-pound man on the ground, only to ask what the consequences were a minute later. It should be mentioned that right before landing the elbow, Wembanyama was hit in the head by McDaniels. His decision to strike Reid was definitely in the heat of the moment. If Wemby had slowed himself down just a bit, it is doubtful that he would have hit him.
How Victor Wembanyama’s Elbow Changes Everything
Wemby is such a dominant player that the most criticized aspect of his game has nothing to do with how he plays. Since coming into the league, he has dealt with constant concerns about his size. Wembanyama is around average weight for a center; however, at 7’4″, the distribution of that weight is different, which is exactly why teams will try to bully him. From pushing him in the back to try and get the rebound, to pinning his arm behind his back to try and stop his blocks.
“At some stage, he should be protected. And if not, he’s going to have to protect himself and, unfortunately, stuff like that happens,” Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson said. Johnson is completely right, although Wembanyama’s elbow went too far. If players are not kept in check, injuries are bound to happen. However, the league is who Wembanyama and the Spurs are really trying to challenge.
There will be no further discipline for Spurs star Victor Wembanyama after he was ejected for elbowing Naz Reid in Minnesota on Sunday night, sources tell ESPN. No suspension, no fine. Wembanyama will play in Game 5 against the Timberwolves on Tuesday night in San Antonio. pic.twitter.com/GOGCbIcbQP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 11, 2026
Picture an NBA where Victor Wembanyama is getting technical fouls every night. Picture a league where he gets ejected ten to twenty times a year. This is the opposite of what the NBA wants. The league is eagerly trying to expand to the rest of the world, and Wemby is their golden ticket to do so. By throwing the elbow and being backed up by his coach, Wemby and the Spurs have put the ball in the NBA’s court. They are making the league choose if it wants Wembanyama to play and what the higher-ups are willing to do to keep him on the floor.
© Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
