Following the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 107-91 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, things seemed to get heated between Jarred Vanderbilt and Jeremy Sochan. As the Lakers forward approached Sochan, an apparent poke at Sochan’s face resulted in a small scuffle, causing Spurs guard Julian Champagnie to step in and protect his teammate.
vando always lookin for smoke😭 luka saw that a mile away pic.twitter.com/A5L2s7C7Km
— milo𓆉🇵🇸🇸🇩 (@TT11986) January 8, 2026
As the two teams exchanged handshakes, Vanderbilt could be seen walking toward Sochan with Luka Doncic nearby. As they got closer, the Lakers forward could be seen exchanging some words with the Spurs forward, who was smiling for the most part.
Suddenly, Vanderbilt put his hands on Sochan’s face. In response to this, Champagnie shoved the Lakers forward away while De’Aaron Fox attempted to create more distance between the two.
Following the game, Jeremy Sochan addressed the altercation and shared:
“I must have said something to him during the game, and maybe it wasn’t very nice. He must’ve taken it the wrong way. He told me to see him after the game, so I did.”
“We just had a polite exchange, and I was, I think, very joyful and, you know, the other person wasn’t. He wasn’t stable at that moment. So, something he has to work on. That’s just life.”
Champagnie, who was also closely involved with the incident, shed more light on the matter with the media.
“I don’t really know what happened. I mean, I know that obviously, he talks on the bench, we talk during the game, and he’s a funny guy. He plays around a lot,” Champagnie stated. “So, I could imagine he said something that had no ill intent toward it.”
“He [Vanderbilt] may have taken it a certain way. But when I walked over there, I thought they were laughing because he [Sochan] was laughing. But then I saw him pointing his finger and kind of getting in his face… Last year, I got into a little scuffle, and he was there for me, so I figured [I should] just have his back. That’s kind of how I’m trying to go at it.”
There is not much known about what Jeremy Sochan said to Jarred Vanderbilt to make him react in such a manner. Some sources speculate that trash talk ensued between the two players, with Sochan apparently shouting, “Hell no!” from the bench every time Vanderbilt attempted a shot.
Considering that the Lakers forward went 2-6 from the field and 0-3 from three-point range, Vanderbilt’s frustration is understandable. Regardless, his actions after the game are likely to have repercussions.
Jeremy Sochan Praised For Adapting To Role In The Rotation
Jeremy Sochan has been a key player in the San Antonio Spurs’ rotation for the better part of his career. However, after missing some time during the offseason and six games early in the 2025-26 season, the forward has struggled to earn a place in the current lineup.
Sochan is currently averaging 4.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.4 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field and 29.0% from three-point range. In comparison to his career averages of 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game, this is a significant dip in performance.
Despite his reduced contributions this season, Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson has praised Jeremy Sochan for adapting to his new role with the team. Following the game against the Grizzlies, Johnson commented:
“I thought Jeremy was excellent. Again, the box score, like the real score, can be misleading. I thought he was a huge positive for us – way more than whatever the box score says.”
For the most part, Sochan appears to be embracing the mold set by players like Dennis Rodman. With defensive toughness becoming the identity, players like Sochan find ways to impact the game by building pressure on opposing teams with relentless effort and hustle.
On that note, Sochan has also modernized his approach to such a template. Having developed his shot from the outside, the forward is effectively becoming a reliable 3-and-D type of player, something that could make him a valuable asset in the Spurs’ system.
