Victor Wembanyama’s refusal to stand for the anthem has sparked outrage. The Spurs star has generated enough headlines with his on-court play during the NBA Finals, but the off-court controversies refuse to die down. Ever since the Game 1 loss, discussion about the San Antonio Spurs star allegedly disrespecting the US national anthem has arisen. Then Wemby not being on the court during “The Star-Spangled Banner” in Games three and four only intensified the debate. But the head coach played it down.

“I think there’s plenty of players that are not on the floor during the anthem,” Johnson told reporters ahead of Game 5. “I don’t know if that’s habit, superstition, bathroom, whatever it may be. I don’t foresee anything looking into that at all.”

The online discourse began after Game 1, when journalist Matt Wallace shared a video of Wembanyama standing with his arms crossed during the anthem. He captioned, “Spurs players REFUSE to put their hands over their hearts for the national anthem! They are making millions of dollars to play a child’s game and still feel oppressed somehow… Only 2 players covered their hearts. Take note of which ones!”

Defenders and commentators, including Stephen A. Smith, pointed out that Wembanyama is a French citizen and that standing respectfully is the standard international protocol.

“This is patently false. There are plenty of people who listen to the Nat’l Anthem and simply bow their heads with their hands in front of them or behind their backs and pay respects,” Stephen A. Smith posted on X. “Holding your hand over your heart is not a requirement. The Spurs were not being disrespectful in anyway. Who is anyone to say they were just over that gesture? That is utterly ridiculous!!!”

In Game 2, he stood quietly and bowed his head. At MSG, Wembanyama’s absences from the court during Games 3-4 reignited debate. Following Johnson’s remarks, Wemby returned to the floor for the anthem before Game 5 in San Antonio, standing with his arms crossed as he had earlier in the series.

It was the first public response from the Spurs after Wembanyama’s anthem posture and apparent pregame absences became a Finals subplot. During his Finals debut, the 22-year-old was overly physical, then dominated in Game 3, but missed chances have been a point of debate. But the anthem debate overshadowed his 32-point Game 3 performance.

Victor Wembanyama allegedly took action against the Knicks fan

The current DPOY was pelted with eggs from Knicks fans when he entered the Ritz-Carlton NoMad after the Game 4 loss. While he has remained calm about the situation, there was another scenario brewing in the hotel. Phil Godlewski, a Knicks supporter, claimed Victor Wembanyama had him, his wife, his two kids aged 9 and 11, and his friends evicted from their NYC hotel room.

“We just got kicked out of the Ritz-Carlton NoMad because Victor Wembenyama had us removed from the hotel because we said good luck tonight and we’re wearing Knicks gear,” Godlewski said, in a clip that was posted by JeffGSpursZone on X. “This guy is one of the worst people in sports. Probably worse than any athlete that I’ve experienced.”

Then, in another video, Godlewski burned down a Wemby-signed jersey, which he had in his home. “I don’t know who this guy thinks he is, but I do have news for him. His career is not going to be what he thinks it is.” There is no comment from either the hotel or the Spurs regarding the incident. While Wemby has been quiet about the issues, the tag of disrespectful just grows louder.