Game 1 of the 2026 Finals was about as perfect an advertisement for professional basketball as the league could have hoped for. The underdog , scrapping their way to a 14-point second-half comeback as they attempt to end their 53-year championship drought. The ascending , led by future face of the league , trying to defy historical precedent by leading a champion in just his third season.
There was only one hiccup in an otherwise perfect night for the NBA: some less-than-acceptable fan behavior in San Antonio. In the third quarter, a fan ran out onto the court to try to get a selfie with Wembanyama before being removed and arrested.
A fan just ran on the court during the NBA Finals to take a selfie with Victor Wembanyama
The NBA swiftly identified the fan and banned him from NBA arenas for life, the league said in a statement. Additionally, a second fan also received a lifetime ban from NBA arenas “for his role in the incident,” the league said without specifying his actions.
But that wasn’t the only fan-related incident on Wednesday. The NBA is also looking into two fans who were sitting courtside and allegedly directed “vulgar, profane flopping remarks” at Knicks star , according to . Brunson met with Game 1 crew chief Scott Foster after the game to discuss the remarks, though what exactly was said is not currently known.
Fan-related incidents are fortunately rare during the NBA Finals, but they do happen. In 2019, minority owner Mark Stevens was banned for one year and fined $500,000 for shoving guard during Game 3 of the Finals. In such a high-profile series, incidents like Brunson’s interaction with fans in San Antonio for Game 1 will be under a microscope, and the NBA will likely act quickly in getting to the bottom of what happened.
