The Spurs lost 113-124 to the Knicks tonight in a heartbreaking loss down the stretch of the NBA Cup championship game. Subsequently, Victor Wembanyama addressed the media near the end of the press conference.
After the first question, the Spurs phenom nearly welled up in tears and decided to cut short his discussion with the media.
“Sorry, I just lost somebody today. I’ll take one more question,” said Wembanyama emotionally as he held back his tears.
“This is the best practice for important games. Obviously, our focus is really on the playoffs because they are going to be the biggest time of the year, so I guess it’s good that we got this experience today,” concluded the Spurs star before exiting the interview.
Victor Wembanyama said he lost someone close to him —
Prayers up. 🙏
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 17, 2025
The former No. 1 overall pick dropped 18 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and two blocks while shooting 41.2% from the field (7-of-17) in tonight’s loss to the Knicks.
He still got three of the five fan votes in the race for the NBA Cup MVP award. He averaged 22.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in the four games that he played in the NBA Cup. The Spurs star shot 47.7% from the floor and 35.5% from the three-point line during this time.
Other than the valuable lesson that he learned tonight, he also took away the fact that fans have faith in him and are behind him, no matter how he plays at this point.
They took to social media and flooded it with prayers and showcases of support for the 21-year-old.
“Get that man off the podium and stop forcing him into an interview; he’s clearly hurt.”
“Damn prayers, you never know what someone’s going through 🙏🏾.”
“Really hope he’s doing alright. Some things are bigger than basketball.”
“Damm condolences to the Wemby family. Knicks fans support you.”
“He will be back stronger mentally after this.”
“Praying for Wemby & his family ❤️❤️❤️.”
While it is unclear who he lost, I respect his privacy and send prayers to him along with well wishes.
Considering that this game does not count towards the regular season, the Spurs and the Knicks are both still at 18-7 for the season. The Spurs are set to face the Wizards at home in their next game on Thursday, December 18.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are headed to Indiana to face the Pacers on the road on Thursday as well. Both teams have back-to-back games before the coming weekend, heading into an action-packed holiday season in the NBA.
