The 2026 NBA Finals tipped off on Wednesday night with an electric back-and-forth affair between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks. Despite a double-digit deficit in the third quarter, the Knicks stormed back behind the inspired play of stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns to win the game 105-95.
As exciting as the game was from start to finish, many fans noted that Spurs star Victor Wembanyama crossed his arms while the national anthem was being performed during pregame festivities.
New “face of the NBA” Victor Wembanyama kept his arms crossed during the entire National Anthem ahead of the NBA Finals. pic.twitter.com/ZoZFKiNnqb
— Bobby Burack (@burackbobby_) June 4, 2026
Speculation rose that perhaps the gesture was a political protest akin to what Colin Kaepernick did by kneeling during the anthem when he played in the NFL. However, it’s worth noting that Wembanyama hails from France, so rather than seeking to make a political statement, he may just not have the same reverence for The Star-Spangled Banner that an American athlete might.
Still, Wemby’s nationality didn’t stop fans from having all sorts of takes on what transpired.
“Any idiot knows that you respect other countries’ national anthem, and crossing your arms is clearly disrespectful,” one person posted on X.
“So what about the him being French just show respect like everyone else,” someone else added.
“F**k every one of them that couldn’t take a couple minutes to appreciate the opportunities provided to them by THIS country,” another person posted.
Other fans took a more measured approach to the situation.
“Dude, come on. He didn’t sit, he didn’t kneel, he stood silently. And he’s French. There are real issues to bring up, this is not one of them,” one such user posted.
Ultimately, this is probably a non-issue, and if Wembanyama realized the uproar that this might draw, he’d probably have just kept his arms down.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.