Wembanyama missing – Victor Wembanyama’s absence from the national anthem before Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden has ignited a fresh wave of criticism, renewing debate over NBA etiquette and enforcement—while the Spurs slip deeper into the Knicks series after a 3-1 deficit.
Victor Wembanyama walked into the spotlight again—but this time, it wasn’t his play that people couldn’t stop staring at.
Before Games 3 and 4 at Madison Square Garden. the San Antonio Spurs center’s distinctive silhouette was conspicuously absent from the lineup of players during The Star-Spangled Banner. even as the NBA’s national-anthem posture rules require teams to stand in a dignified manner before every game. The controversy has escalated quickly, feeding an uproar that has already followed Wembanyama from the first games in New York.
For podcaster Jason Whitlock, the unanswered question is simple: where was Wembanyama during the anthem? “I believe he stood in the tunnel or the locker room during the national anthem,” Whitlock said. “No one talked about it. ABC ignored it.”
The debate has been intensified by prior moments from this same postseason series. In Game 1 in San Antonio. Wembanyama drew criticism when he was seen with his arms folded across his 7ft 5in frame as the song was played. Asked about Wembanyama’s posture. President Donald Trump admitted he hadn’t caught that moment on TV. but urged reporters to press the issue with the Spurs center.
Two nights later, Wembanyama appeared to answer the backlash in a different way—striking what critics described as a prayerful pose by holding his hands together during the national anthem in Game 2, while teammates placed their hands over their hearts or at their sides.
Then, Games 3 and 4 came, and the concern shifted. Before those games, Wembanyama’s presence during the anthem was not seen in the Spurs’ lineup. The Daily Mail has sought comment from Spurs spokespeople, and it also tried to contact the NBA about whether he could face any penalty.
The league’s rulebook is clear on what’s expected, but enforcement has often been less forceful in recent years. Like other guidelines such as coaching dress codes. the NBA has taken a more passive approach on anthem compliance in recent seasons. The contrast is sharp: Denver’s Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was suspended for one game in 1996 after refusing to stand for the anthem. After George Floyd’s murder in 2020, the NBA allowed players to kneel in protest of racist police brutality.
Abdul-Rauf’s own story continues to hang over the debate. He compromised with the league in 1996 by standing in prayer during the anthem. He later left the NBA to play professionally in Turkey, and in 2023 he told The Daily Mail he has no regrets about that decision.
For many critics now. the dispute isn’t only about what Wembanyama did—it’s about what they believe he didn’t do. and what they think other people missed. Dan Zaksheske of Fox News’ conservative sports website. Outkick. has helped keep the focus burning. arguing the issue is bigger than his earlier involvement. Zaksheske had first raised it with Trump aboard Air Force One. and later wrote that Fox News Digital and OutKick stories generated significant audience interest. pointing to social media reaction as evidence that “plenty of people do care.”.
Not everyone believes there’s any ambiguity. After Wembanyama’s Game 1 posture drew backlash. one critic wrote on X. “The dude can’t even respect the American National Anthem being sung. ” and another influencer. Matt Wallace. posted: “Spurs players REFUSE to put their hands over their hearts for the national anthem!” Wallace also complained that the Spurs are making “millions of dollars to play a child’s game” while “still feel oppressed somehow.”.
That charge prompted a direct response from Stephen A. Smith. Smith wrote on ESPN. “This is patently false.” He added that there are “plenty of people who listen to the Nat’l Anthem and simply bow their heads with their hands in front of them or behind their backs and pay respects.” Smith insisted. “Holding your hand over your heart is not a requirement. The Spurs were not being disrespectful in anyway. Who is anyone to say they were just over that gesture?. That is utterly ridiculous!!!”.
Wallace’s criticism didn’t stop there. After Wembanyama’s prayer posture in Game 2. Wallace accused him of “covering his face. ” writing on X: “Victor Wembanyama covers his face during the national anthem!” Wallace called it “the most disrespectful thing I have ever seen a foreign player do while playing in the United States.”.
The broader question running under all of this is whether Wembanyama will face consequences if the league determines he didn’t meet expectations during the anthem. It’s unclear what, if anything, could follow. What is clear is that the optics have become something fans and political figures can’t stop debating.
Wembanyama does not identify with any specific religion. but his prayerful gestures are connected to visual moments people have pointed to. During the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, he was seen wearing a traditional Middle Eastern garment. He has also expressed concerns about the plight of Palestinians in Gaza and US immigration enforcement.
Last month, he spoke to reporters about having been “horrified” after Border Patrol shooting and killing Alex J. Pretti in Minneapolis in January. He told reporters. “PR has tried. but I’m not going to sit here and give something politically correct. ” adding: “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.”.
He also said he sometimes asks “very deep questions about my own life,” and that he is “conscious also that saying everything that’s on my mind would have a cost that’s too great for me right now,” so he would “rather not get into too many details.”
Even outside the anthem, Wembanyama has admitted fear 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.”
That concern isn’t theoretical. After the Spurs collapsed following their Game 4 defeat, Knicks fans threw objects at Wembanyama at the Spurs hotel in New York. There is no indication that incident is tied to the anthem controversy—but it shows how volatile the series environment has become.
On the court, the Spurs are now paying the price for the turmoil off it. After blowing a historic 29-point lead in Wednesday’s humbling defeat. San Antonio trails 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. meaning the question of what Wembanyama will do next—and whether anyone will treat it like a punishable issue—could arrive long before the first play.
Victor Wembanyama national anthem Madison Square Garden San Antonio Spurs New York Knicks NBA Finals Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf Donald Trump Jason Whitlock Stephen A. Smith Matt Wallace OutKick