Windhorst warns – Brian Windhorst believes fans could eventually turn on Victor Wembanyama if the San Antonio Spurs keep winning, warning that domination can quickly turn into resentment. He points to how polarizing eras have always shaped NBA superstardom, and he ties that to
On Wednesday, Game 1 between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks tips at Frost Bank Center—and the conversation around Victor Wembanyama is already louder than the usual pregame buzz.
Brian Windhorst, reflecting on what NBA fans have done to past superstars, floated the possibility that Wembanyama could eventually attract backlash. He framed it as a familiar pattern in a league where intense competition and constant comparisons tend to divide even the biggest talents.
“There’s some fans out here in San Antonio I saw em on the street today that had like derogatory signs about the Knicks but that doesn’t come with feeling. The Knicks are a likable team. You may dislike them because they’re from New York if you’re from Texas but…. ” Windhorst said. describing the kinds of fandom lines that can harden in real time.
Then came the sharper warning about Wembanyama’s trajectory. Windhorst suggested that the novelty of a dominant new star doesn’t always last.
“People may start not to like Wembanyama a little bit if he wins three of the next four titles or something,” Windhorst said.
What complicates that idea is how Windhorst sees Wembanyama being received right now. The Spurs’ young center. Windhorst argued. checks multiple boxes that tend to earn public goodwill—being described as humble. smart. talented. and passionate. The chance to lead San Antonio to its sixth title at 22 years old. in that telling. would only magnify that attention.
Still, Windhorst made a distinction between disliking a team or a star and actually getting invested in turning on them. He pointed to why Wembanyama’s emotional approach can be energizing rather than annoying—especially because of how seriously he takes winning and his role as the Spurs’ foundational piece.
“How can you not be energized by his emotion? I found it refreshing,” Windhorst added, specifically referring to Wembanyama crying after winning the Western Conference Finals.
Windhorst also tied the reaction to how Wembanyama treats the game beyond the playoffs. saying it’s refreshing that the NBA All-Star Game should be competitive to him. He pointed to how Wembanyama plays with emotions and cares about winning and losing. and he praised having a young Spurs team in the kind of opportunity that forces the league to watch closely.
Wembanyama has repeatedly shared that it has always been his goal to win an NBA championship. Now, with a strong chance to fulfill it with the Spurs, the league’s generational center is positioned to rule for years to come—no matter how people feel about him as a personality.
The question Windhorst leaves hanging is not whether Wembanyama can win. It’s what happens to fan affection when winning becomes routine.
Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs New York Knicks Brian Windhorst Frost Bank Center NBA Game 1 Western Conference Finals
So fans hate him already? Lol.
I mean Spurs fans get weird when they’re winning. If they keep beating the Knicks or whoever, somebody’s gonna act like Wemby is “too much.” Also why are there signs already, that’s just embarrassing.
Backlash?? Bro it sounds like the article is saying people will turn on him if he wins titles. But isn’t that like… literally what happens to any star? I feel like Knicks fans would get mad first though, not Spurs. unless New York people are the ones with the derogatory signs? idk.
This is the whole NBA cycle where everyone loves you when you’re new and then suddenly you’re the villain. I saw somewhere people were already calling him a “system guy” or whatever and I’m like, he’s 22, let him play. If he wins “three of the next four titles” then yeah you’ll get resentment, but also isn’t the real issue that Spurs fans just like starting drama? Game 1 is already tipping and half the comments online are gonna miss the point anyway.