Victor Wembanyama was in tears Tuesday during his postgame press conference, but the reason went beyond the confines of the basketball court.
The San Antonio Spurs star was emotional as he addressed reporters following his team’s 124-113 loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup final at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Wembanyama began to tear up midway through his press conference before sharing that he was dealing with a personal tragedy.
“Sorry, I just lost somebody today,” Wembanyama said after answering his first question in French.
“This is the best practice for important games,” Wemby said of losing the NBA Cup. “Of course, our focus is already on the playoffs, and the playoffs are going to be the biggest time of the year. So, it’s good that we got this experience today.”
Victor Wembanyama full postgame press conference before abruptly cutting it short due to personal reasons (he lost someone today) pic.twitter.com/GwH2O6dsdI
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 17, 2025
Wembanyama ended the press conference after answering just two questions. According to NBA reporter Tim Reynolds, Wembanyama’s grandmother died earlier in the day.
The Spurs center did not play to his usual standards in the NBA Cup title game. Wembanyama finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, and a couple of blocks across 25 minutes. He came off the bench and had to abide by a minutes restriction in his second game back from a calf injury.
Wembanyama looked dominant in limited action in the semifinal round against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He taunted Thunder defenders and played with a swagger worthy of his skill set.
The mood was clearly different on Tuesday as he played with a heavy heart against a relentless Knicks squad that pounded the Spurs on the glass 59-42.
