Game 1 of the NBA Finals was at a dramatic point in the fourth quarter when something truly bizarre happened – a fan ran onto the court in search of a selfie with Victor Wembanyama.
The game was coming back from a timeout following a crucial run spurred by Jalen Bruson’s heroics had given the Knicks a six-point lead over the Spurs. Just as play had resumed, a fan very quickly made his way onto the floor and got far enough that he was actually in the middle of the action.
Before security could remove the fan, he pulled out his cell phone in what looked to be an attempt at a selfie with the French superstar.
Usually, network broadcasts will try to cut away form play when a fan invades the court or field so as to not encourage any similar behavior for people looking for a fleeting moment of fame. But this happened so quickly that ESPN was unable to do so. Mike Breen immediately called the situation on play-by-play while analysts Tim Legler and Richard Jefferson condemned the fan’s actions.
What was really surprising was that ESPN ran a replay of the fan storming the court, even focusing on Mitchell Robinson’s flummoxed reaction.
“A fan just ran on the floor and wants to take a selfie. Security quickly takes him away. Crowd gives him the appropriate boo, fortunately nobody hurt,” Breen said.
“It’s just too good for that to happen,” Legler admitted.
“That person wasn’t here for the basketball,” Jefferson added.
Thankfully, nothing truly nefarious happened here and order was quickly restored with a jump ball. Fans on the field or the court can provide some humorous moments from announcers calling the action. However, it’s still more than a little scary was able to get that close to Victor Wembanyama that quickly. And that security was caught sleeping.
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