The NBA decided not to suspend Victor Wembanyama after his controversial elbow to Naz Reid during Game Four against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and considering the circumstances, it was probably the correct decision.
Wembanyama was ejected early in the second quarter after catching Reid in the throat with an elbow while fighting through heavy contact under the basket. The moment immediately sparked debate around whether the National Basketball Association would hand down further punishment ahead of a pivotal Game Five.
Instead, the league reportedly chose not to issue a suspension or fine.
The ejection itself already carried major consequences for the San Antonio Spurs.
San Antonio ultimately lost the game after surrendering late momentum, costing the team a chance to take a commanding three-games-to-one series lead.
The play itself came after a highly physical sequence involving multiple Timberwolves defenders. Wembanyama secured the rebound before Jaden McDaniels wrapped up his arm without a whistle being called. Reid then crowded into Wembanyama’s right side moments before the elbow connected.
While the contact clearly crossed the line, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson strongly defended his star afterward.
“The amount of physicality that people play with him, at some level you have to protect yourself. Every single play on every single part of the floor, people are trying to impose their physicality on him,” Johnson told reporters after the loss. “We don’t complain because we’re just gonna play, we don’t really give a s***. But at some stage, he should be protected, and if not, he’ll have to protect himself, and unfortunately stuff like that happens.”
The incident was also completely out of character for Wembanyama, who has not built any sort of reputation as a dirty player throughout his young career. That likely played a major role in the league’s decision.
Even without their franchise centerpiece for most of the game, San Antonio still nearly escaped with a win, trailing by just two points at the time of the ejection before eventually falling late.
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