Victor Wembanyama is a proud “ethical” baller, a badge he has worn with pride. But Tuesday night was proof that the Frenchman might just have a rather rough side to him when the Spurs need it. With San Antonio’s back against the wall in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Wemby appeared to be quietly plotting an attack on an OKC Thunder opponent.

While heading to the bench, Wembanyama could be seen whispering something into Mason Plumlee and Bismack Biyombo’s ears. Moments later, with around 1:40 left in the game, Plumlee took Jared McCain by surprise with a hard elbow to his back while guarding Alex Caruso. McCain ended up on the floor. Moments later, Biyombo, while blocking the sophomore guard’s floater, dropped his body on him. He was on the floor again.

Wemabnya’s exchange with the two drew attention, and considering McCain’s performance on the night, fans feel it could have been a planned strategy to take the former 76er down.

In Jalen Williams and AJ Mitchell’s absences, McCain received his debut playoff start. He dropped 20 points, with 18 coming in the second half, and right before the two hard fouls on him, he buried two three-pointers to put OKC up by 15, with a chance to close out the series in San Antonio on Thursday.

The Spurs actually started the game decently, trailing by just two after the first quarter, but OKC’s offense thereafter was relentless. They never trailed again after that, and the game entered garbage time with a solid two minutes left in the fourth quarter, which is when the situation unfolded.

McCain wasn’t bothered too much about the late-game physicality, as he brushed it off, calling, “It’s all competition. Gotta respect it.” Moreover, he also admitted that his teammates warned him to head to the corner in the closing minutes to protect himself with a smile.

The fans, however, connected the dots, and some were unhappy with Wembanyama, who might just lose his “ethical” tag, which he once used to take a dig at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his alleged foul-baiting. At the same time, many loved the fact that the third-year star is doing whatever it takes to get his team the dub.

Victor Wembanyama’s alleged involvement in late-game hard fouls divides the internet

Fans of most teams in the league have collectively accused referees of favoring the OKC Thunder across several games this season, and the series against the Spurs has been no different.

In Game 5 itself, there was a bizarre incident involving an out-of-bounds call that clearly looked like Chet Holmgren’s last touch. The refs didn’t agree, and when Spurs HC Mitch Johnson challenged the call, he was completely ignored as the Thunder continued play. There was also another missed goaltending call, with Luke Kornet’s attempt allegedly being tended by Cason Wallace.

So, despite the Spurs’ supposedly dirty play against McCain, there were sympathizers on the Frenchman’s side.

“Spurs giving them a legit reason to call a foul,” one fan wrote on X, highlighting the lack of calls in favor of San Antonio. 

Another fan viewed Wembanyama’s ominous whisper in an entirely different lens. To them, he’s now a proper leader in the young Spurs side. “Wemby out here directing traffic like a vet already. Those two went full enforcer mode instantly. Message sent,” the fan wrote.

Adding to the criticism of officials’ inconsistency, this fan wrote, “Biyombo’s block wasn’t even a foul. My goodness, the league is soft.”

Another fan took it as a message for the rest of the league, connecting the situation to a larger narrative surrounding the Thunder. “Give them some of their own medicine, so the whole world can see this idiotic league when they all get ejected for nothing.”

This fan referred to the earlier brutal physicality the Thunder directed at the Spurs. Especially after Isaiah Hartenstein went unpunished for his questionable plays against Wemby and Stephon Castle,  most notably an alleged hair pull on Castle.

However, one fan, siding with the Oklahoma boys, stood against the Spurs’ late-game hard fouls on MccCain. “I stopped watching after this. Dirty AF. Not cool. Won’t be a fan of Spurs if stuff like this happens.”

Some felt that the Spurs had crossed the line, taking the approach after the game had already slipped away from their hands. 

Now, with the Spurs facing elimination in Game 6, Wembanyama’s act has only added more layers to the rivalry. The bigger question is, can Wemby fuel this controversy to force Game 7? Only time will tell.