Op-Ed: I Have Loved the Spurs for Over 40 Years—But Victor Wembanyama Will End All of That.

I’ve loved the San Antonio Spurs for as long as I can remember.

I still remember the absolute thrill of watching George “The Iceman” Gervin bank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Golden State Warriors back on March 27, 1984.

I remember the exact moment we drafted David Robinson on June 22, 1987. I was at a neighborhood community center, and every kid glued to the TV in the game room went wild!

I remember the excruciating pain of Rod Strickland’s wild over-the-head pass in Game 7 against the Trail Blazers on May 19, 1990.

I traveled to New York’s Madison Square Garden to see the Spurs win Game 4 of the Finals on June 23, 1999, during Tim Duncan’s sophomore season, right before we closed out our first title in Game 5.

And then came the decades of pure glory that followed: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014. Thank you for all the memories—Duncan, Parker, Ginóbili, Kawhi.

I have been with the Spurs, and the Spurs have been with me, every single step of the way.

And now, we have what might be the most gifted player to ever step onto a basketball court: Victor Wembanyama.

But let’s look at what’s actually been happening.

During Game 1 of the Finals, he stood with his arms crossed during “The Star-Spangled Banner” rather than placing his hand over his heart.

In Game 2, he held his hands up in front of his face in what looked like a praying gesture.

Then, for Games 3 and 4 in New York, he wasn’t even on the court during the anthem at all.

To make matters worse, Wemby recently liked a post on social media involving NYC politician Zohran Mamdani—a figure known for aligning with radical influencers like Hasan Piker and anti-American imams who have claimed America deserved 9/11. Might Wemby also believe America deserved 9/11? How dark does this actually get? Somebody should put a camera in his face and ask him directly.

This disrespect even bleeds into how he plays. Wemby’s deliberate elbow to Minnesota’s Naz Reid was cheap and unlike our game. The GOATs don’t do that kind of thing.

I’m sorry, but I’m America First. I am America before the Spurs. And if loyalty to my country means no longer caring about my team, then so be it.

I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think I am. Stay focused on this issue.

Go Spurs Go!!