Opinion: Victor Wembanyama fortunate he was not suspended

Victor Wembanyama (Google Images)

One of the biggest stories from the 2026 NBA postseason so far occurred in the game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday. With three minutes and 21 seconds left in the second quarter, and Minnesota leading 36-34, Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s best defensive player this season, elbowed Naz Reid of the Timberwolves to the ground. As a result, Wembanyama was ejected for the rest of the game.

Wembanyama elbowed Reid in the chin and the Spurs were forced to play the rest of the game without their superstar. As a result, Minnesota won 114-109. With the win, the Timberwolves won game four of the Western Conference best out of seven series and have evened the series at two games apiece. When the Timberwolves won game one of the series by a score of 104-102, they were an 11.5 point underdog.

There was belief by many after seeing the elbow that Wembanyama would be suspended. Well, he is not according to the the Associated Press, and is eligible to play the fifth game of the series on Tuesday in San Antonio. The series has now moved from a best of seven to a best of three, with the winner facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

One reason why Wembanyama was not suspended is because this was the first time he was ejected in his career. One needs to wonder if the force of Wembanyama’s elbow on Reid’s face warranted a suspension. I think so. However, Wembanyama is not being disciplined and the controversial NBA decision benefits the Spurs. What do you think?