Spurs' Wembanyama Fined $25K by NBA for Throwing Ball to Fans After Win vs. Knicks

The NBA announced Sunday it fined San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama $25,000 for throwing the ball into the stands after his team's 130-126 overtime victory over the New York Knicks.

Wembanyama logged his best performance of the season, finishing with 40 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists. He celebrated after the final buzzer by briefly cradling the ball and then tossing it toward the home crowd.

Some were upset with how cavalier Wembanyama was with the game ball after Knicks star Jalen Brunson dropped a career-high 61 points. A memento the veteran point guard might have wanted to keep instead wound up in the hands of one fan.

It called to mind Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetkounmpo running down the tunnel when he believed the Indiana Pacers were taking the game ball from his 64-point performance.

While there was nothing malicious in Wembanyama's actions, the rulebook is pretty clear. Deliberately throwing or kicking the ball into the stands is grounds for an ejection if it happens in the middle of a game, and past precedent pointed to a minor fine.

The 7-footer was asked after the game if he would make up for the cost of the lost basketball and quipped "somebody else is going to."

The 20-year-old will have a much harder time shifting his $25,000 fine to another party. Writing the check to the league office is a drop in the bucket when he's making $12.1 million this year.

Wembanyama will be advised, though, to keep his celebrations fully confined to the court moving forward.