Victor Wembanyama National Anthem Controversy Ignites During NBA Finalsסער

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is drawing increased scrutiny over his conduct during the national anthem at the NBA Finals.

The 7-foot-5 standout was notably missing for renditions of The Star-Spangled Banner before Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden earlier this week.

“I believe he stood in the tunnel or the locker room during the national anthem,” podcaster Jason Whitlock said. “No one talked about it. ABC ignored it.”

Wembanyama, the 22-year-old French phenom, had already faced backlash following Game 1 in San Antonio on June 3, when cameras showed him standing with his arms crossed during the anthem.

When asked about Wembanyama’s body language, President Donald Trump said he had not seen the moment on television, but encouraged reporters to ask the Spurs big man about it. By Game 2, however, Wembanyama appeared in a more reflective stance, clasping his hands together during the song while teammates either placed their hands over their hearts or kept them at their sides.

Still, ahead of Monday’s and Wednesday’s matchups, Wembanyama’s unmistakable frame was absent from the floor during the anthem. The Daily Mail said it has reached out to Spurs representatives for comment.

The NBA does require all teams to stand in a dignified posture for the national anthem before every game. But like other rules, such as coaching dress codes, the league has taken a more passive approach to enforcement in recent years

Whereas Denver’s Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was suspended one game for refusing to stand for the anthem in 1996, the NBA allowed its players to kneel in protest of racist police brutality after George Floyd’s murder in 2020.

The Daily Mail has sought comment from the NBA on Wembanyama’s presence during the anthem and any potential penalty he could face. 

The flames of controversy have been fanned by Dan Zaksheske of Fox News’s conservative sports website, Outkick, who first raised the issue with Trump aboard Air Force One last week.

‘Fox News Digital and OutKick stories on this issue have generated significant audience interest, and social media posts about the controversy have drawn widespread reaction, which suggests plenty of people do care,’ Zaksheske wrote.

And many have already made up their mind about Wembanyama.

‘The dude can’t even respect the American National Anthem being sung,’ one critic wrote on X after Game 1.

Outside of Luke Kornet and Mason Plumlee, who have placed their hands over their hearts, most of the Spurs have positioned their arms at their sides during The Star-Spangled Banner. 

This also infuriated online critics.

‘Spurs players REFUSE to put their hands over their hearts for the national anthem!’ online influencer Matt Wallace wrote on X after Game 1. ‘They are making millions of dollars to play a child’s game and still feel oppressed somehow…

‘Only 2 players covered their hearts. Take note of which ones!’

The post came to Stephen A Smith’s attention, prompting the ESPN host to issue a scathing response to Wallace.

‘This is patently false,’ Smith wrote. ‘There are plenty of people who listen to the National Anthem and simply bow their heads with their hands in front of them or behind their backs and pay respects.

‘Holding your hand over your heart is not a requirement. The Spurs were not being disrespectful in any way. Who is anyone to say they were just over that gesture? That is utterly ridiculous!!!’

Wembanyama’s decision to pray during Game 2’s anthem also angered Wallace, who accused the NBA’s Reigning Defensive Player of the Year of covering his face.

‘Victor Wembanyama covers his face during the national anthem!’ Wallace wrote on X. ‘This is the most disrespectful thing I have ever seen a foreign player do while playing in the United States. Unbelievable.’

Interestingly, Abdul-Rauf compromised with the NBA in 1996 by standing in prayer during the anthem after his suspension. He then left the league to play professionally in Turkey and told the Daily Mail in 2023 that he has no regrets about his decision.

It’s unclear if something similar could play out with the Spurs star. Wembanyama does not identify with any specific religion but was seen wearing a traditional Middle Eastern garment during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha.

And although he has never visibly protested during the anthem, Wembanyama has expressed concerns about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and US immigration enforcement. He was admittedly ‘horrified’ to see Border Patrol shooting and killing Alex Pretti in Minneapolis back in January, noting that the Spurs team has tried to keep him quiet on the issue.

‘PR has tried, but I’m not going to sit here and give something politically correct,’ he told reporters. ‘Every day I wake up and see the news, and I’m horrified. I think it’s crazy that some people make it seem like or make it sound like it’s acceptable, like the murder of civilians is acceptable.

‘I read the news, and sometimes I’m asking very deep questions about my own life. I’m conscious also that saying everything that’s on my mind would have a cost that’s too great for me right now. So, I’d rather not get into too many details.’

Knicks fans threw objects at Wembanyama at the San Antonio Spurs’s hotel in New York

Wembanyama also admitted to fearing for his safety in the US.

‘It’s terrible,’ he told reporters in January. ‘I know I’m a foreigner and live in this country. I am concerned for sure.’

Hostile Knicks fans did throw objects at Wembanyama when he and his San Antonio teammates returned to their hotel after their Game 4 collapse, but there is no indication that the incident is related to the anthem controversy.

After blowing a historic 29-point lead in Wednesday’s humbling defeat, the Spurs now trail the Knicks 3-1 as the best-of-seven series shifts to San Antonio for Game 5 on Saturday. 

The national anthem is scheduled to be performed minutes before the 8.30pm EST tip-off.