With over six minutes remaining in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, a fan in San Antonio couldn’t contain his excitement.
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama had just checked back into the game for the final stretch when a fan ran onto the court to take a selfie with the Defensive Player of the Year before being detained and escorted away by security. The act earned a brief pose and a wry smile from the Spurs star.
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At that point, Wembanyama was facing a 92-86 deficit against the New York Knicks. His highly anticipated NBA Finals debut had not gone according to plan. The 22-year-old had struggled to that point, shooting 5 of 15 from the field and 1 of 6 from 3-point range while scoring 18 points.
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Although his superstardom was magnetic enough to draw a fan from the crowd onto the court, it wasn’t enough to give the Spurs a lead heading into the final stretch. Wembanyama promptly scored six points, including a stepback 3, over the next three minutes to pull San Antonio within one. He finished the game with 26 points on 6-of-21 shooting in 38 minutes.
He didn’t exactly pose for any mid-game pictures. His focus remained fixed on the Knicks and trying to get the Spurs back into position to win Game 1 as they struggled to keep pace with the Knicks, who eventually pulled away for the 105-95 victory.
That fan, meanwhile, will have to live with the selfie he managed to capture during the precious seconds he spent on an NBA Finals court.