San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) shoots against New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during the first half of the NBA Cup championship basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ian Maule) (Ian Maule, Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
LAS VEGAS – Victor Wembanyama played in Tuesday night’s NBA Cup final with a heavy heart.
While meeting with reporters after the game, Wembanyama was emotional before he apologized and said he “lost somebody today.”
Recommended Videos
Victor Wembanyama lost his grandmother and then played one of the biggest games of his NBA career hours later. He's also a 21-year-old human being. I know he talks trash in a sports setting. For those mocking this situation in any way, I hope you better yourself one day pic.twitter.com/XodnhEEUEY
He fought back tears and took only two questions before leaving the press conference with a Spurs staffer.
According to a report from The Athletic, Wembanyama learned that his grandmother passed away before Tuesday’s game. He still played and scored 18 points, grabbed six rebounds and blocked two shots off the bench in San Antonio’s 123-114 loss to the New York Knicks.
Despite the personal loss, Wembanyama showed strength on the court, demonstrating why he is a key player for the Spurs.
San Antonio will host the Washington Wizards on Thursday and then play at the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
It is unclear if the 21-year-old will be available for those games.