The National Basketball Association (NBA) has issued lifetime bans to two fans who disrupted Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June 4, 2026 (Philippine time).
With 6:28 remaining in the fourth quarter, a fan ran onto the court carrying a cellphone and took a selfie with San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama, who smiled during the incident. Security personnel chased the fan and escorted him off the court.
A second fan, who was an accomplice of the selfie-taking fan, was also deemed worthy of punishment.
When the fan was led off the court, Spurs rookie Dylan Harper released the ball, which was then intercepted by Knicks forward Mikal Bridges. The referees huddled to decide the ball possession and agreed to resolve it with a jump ball. At that moment, the Spurs were trailing 86-92.
"The individual who entered the court area during Game 1 of The Finals was arrested and will be banned for life from all NBA arenas. A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident," the NBA said in an official statement.
