Victor Wembanyama has officially dodged any additional punishment from the NBA following his flagrant 2 foul and ejection in Game 2 against the Timberwolves. The league concluded its review of the incident—where Wembanyama's elbow connected with Naz Reid's neck during a rebound battle—and decided against issuing a suspension or fine, as first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania and confirmed by NBC Sports.
The 7-foot-4 rookie sensation was tossed from the game in the second quarter after securing a rebound and, in the ensuing scuffle, catching Reid with an elbow to the neck area. Spurs interim coach Mitch Johnson immediately defended his star player, calling any talk of a suspension "ridiculous" and emphasizing there was "zero intent" behind the play. Johnson went further, expressing frustration over the physical treatment Wembanyama has faced all season.
"At some point, he's going to have to protect himself. We've been asking (the officials) to do that now for a while... the lack of protection is really disappointing. At some level, it's starting to get actually disgusting," Johnson said, highlighting the double standard he believes his young star faces when teams get overly physical to throw him off his game.
From a league perspective, a suspension was never realistically on the table. Postseason discipline operates on a points-based system for flagrant fouls, and Wembanyama's Flagrant 2 gives him two points toward a four-point threshold for automatic suspension. That means he would need another Flagrant 2 or two Flagrant 1 fouls before facing any time off—similar to how Nikola Jokic avoided suspension after his own first-round altercation. Crucially, Wembanyama doesn't carry the same extensive history of incidents as someone like Draymond Green, despite what Green himself might think.
The lack of a fine, however, raised a few eyebrows around the league. But the real question is whether a monetary penalty would have served as any meaningful deterrent for a player of Wembanyama's caliber. The looming threat of a future suspension—should he accumulate more flagrant points—already serves as the NBA's primary mechanism for keeping players in check.
With this ruling behind him, Wembanyama can now focus on what he does best: dominating the court in his signature style. For Spurs fans and sneakerheads alike, it's a welcome relief to see the league's brightest new star avoid any off-court distractions as the playoffs heat up.