Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs suffered heartbreak in the 2026 NBA Finals, losing in five games to the New York Knicks. While Wembanyama failed in his quest to bring the title to San Antonio, he did at least bring smiles to the faces of children at a hospital in the area.
Wembanyama made the trip to a children’s hospital with his Spurs teammate Julian Champagnie, and they posed for pictures with the patients and handed out signed jerseys.
That would have meant a lot to those children. Kudos to these two for making the trip when so little time has passed since they lost Game 5 94-90 on Saturday. It appears this wasn’t something the Spurs had asked Wembanyama and Champagnie to do either. L’Équipe’s Maxime Aubin reported that the two-time All-Star had asked to go.
“I can confirm it was Wemby’s idea. Last Saturday, after the loss, he asked if he could visit a children’s hospital before heading back to France.”
These children also serve as a reminder that while you might be going through some difficult moments, there are others out there who are fighting far tougher battles. Losing an NBA Finals doesn’t quite compare to what they’re going through.
Wembanyama’s reputation has taken a hit in recent weeks, with accusations of dirty play and his walking off the court without shaking hands with the Knicks players after Game 5. While none of that was ideal, the good still far outweighs the bad. Wembanyama is a bit arrogant, but has been a class act off the court. He has his flaws, but we need to remind ourselves that he is only 22. He’ll mature further over time.
As for on the court, Wembanyama, the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year, still has plenty of room for improvement on the offensive end. He had his struggles in his first Finals appearance, but still averaged 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game against the Knicks. Expect Wembanyama to fare much better the next time he gets there, and you better believe he will play on this stage again.
Champagnie, meanwhile, put up 11.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in the Finals. The 24-year-old was inconsistent, but this was still a fine season for him overall.
It will be interesting to see how Wembanyama, Champagnie, and the rest of the Spurs respond to this Finals setback next season. The last team to lose on that stage and get back there the very next year was the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2018. It won’t be easy, but you wouldn’t bet against this group.
