A brutal night for Victor Wembanyama continued even after he returned to his hotel after his side’s historic collapse, as he was pelted with boos from jeering Knicks fans and nearly struck by a flying egg.
A video shared online showed a couple of eggs thrown in the direction of the San Antonio Spurs superstar as he entered his hotel, flanked by security, following the team’s game four loss to the New York Knicks.
Wembanyama walks into his hotel in NYC. Instagram
It was not clear who threw the egg. The video showed taunting fans swarming the hotel, a few blocks south of Madison Square Garden.
A few seconds after the egg cracks on a street sign, Wembanyama turns around and confronts a person standing near the hotel’s entrance, before continuing inside.
The Spurs did not immediately respond to a request seeking clarity on whether the object struck Wembanyama.
The confrontation followed a historic collapse by the Spurs, who now find themselves on the brink of elimination after blowing a 29-point lead to the Knicks. Wembanyama missed two key free throws in the game’s final minutes.
“We saw the dumbest basketball team in the history of civilisation,” NBA great Charles Barkley said on ESPN.
“The San Antonio Spurs helped the New York Knicks win this game by doing some of the stupidest ass stuff I’ve ever seen on the basketball court.”
The Knicks victory prompted scenes of bedlam and jubilation across New York City, as ecstatic fans packed the streets, set off fireworks, scaled lampposts and at times clashed with police.
According to the New York Police Department, 56 people were taken into custody for charges that ranged from assault to disorderly conduct.
“Once again, there were large crowds of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behaviour last night both during and after the game,” the police department said in a statement.
An NYPD spokesperson said they had nothing on file about the egg incident.