Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals took place on Wednesday. And the clash stood out as one of the historic NBA games where the Knicks pulled off a miracle 29-point deficit comeback, capped off by an OG Anunoby tip-in with 1.2 seconds left to win 107-106 and take a commanding 3-1 series lead. However, the Knicks haven’t had the chance to bask in that spotlight of their collapse-turned-comeback for too long, because Victor Wembanyama quickly became the center of the postgame conversation instead.

“He’s a cocky a**. Wemby is. He really is,” said former NFL player Tiki Barber on WFAN Sports Radio. “There’s no humility in his game. And the problem, just like Jeremy Shockey pointing to the scoreboard against the San Francisco 49ers in 2002, is that when it comes back to get you, nobody feels sorry for you. Everybody says you deserved it.”

Tiki Barber’s lash out, though, wasn’t random. It’s Victor Wembanyama himself who gave the former NFL running back a reason to criticize him. Wembanyama was caught taunting Knicks center Mitchell Robinson.

“I’m in your head, Mitch, I got you, Mitch,” Wembanyama said. The ex-NFL star saw arrogance in those comments. Not just that, the 22-year-old also gave another reason with his fourth-quarter performance for Barber to pass comments.

While Wemby finished the game with 24 points and 13 rebounds overall, his performance in the final period was marred by poor shooting, critical misses at the free-throw line, and defensive struggles. Most notably, Victor Wembanyama missed two consecutive free throws with 1:47 left while the Spurs held a slim 104-103 lead. Hence, Barber felt the San Antonio Spurs, particularly Wemby, deserved to lose the game.

“Wemby, you deserved to miss two free throws at the end. You deserved to get punked and shoot 2-11 in the fourth quarter. You deserved everything you got because you put it way out there before, against a team in the Knicks who are committed to winning every moment. Every moment! And the Spurs weren’t,” said Barber. However, this wasn’t the first time the Giants legend criticized the 22-year-old rising basketball star.

Barber initially criticized Wembanyama for his dangerous and aggressive play on the court. Following Game 3, Barber vocally went after the center for shoving Jalen Brunson in the neck, expressing immense frustration that the league officials were treating the superstar like a “golden boy” who could do no wrong.

As for what really happened, Wembanyama didn’t have an explanation for what unfolded, and given the scale of the Spurs’ collapse, it was hard to blame him.

“Can’t really explain it right now, I don’t know. We clearly weren’t the most hungry in the second half,” Wembanyama said. “It was painful, of course. We worked too hard and gave up our lead. It’s as simple as that. It just hurts.”

That being said, it’s important to note that Barber is a prominent New York sports radio host and has long ties to the city, which may also shape his perspective. Drafted by the New York Giants in 1997, Tiki Barber spent his entire 10-year career representing them. Later, he moved into broadcasting, and since 2024, he has been part of WFAN’s afternoon drive show alongside co-host Evan Roberts.