Story perspectives

Knicks Win 2026 Finals, Brunson MVP Amid Wembanyama Ejection

6/16/2026

Summary

Brunson MVP

The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win 2026 NBA Finals, earning Jalen Brunson MVP after he averaged 32.6 points.
Victor Wembanyama posted 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks, received two flagrant fouls and was ejected once.
After the series, Brunson taunted Wembanyama with a message and shouted “F*** Wemby!” at the Knicks’ party, while Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie visited Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio.

Summary

Wembanyama Skips Handshake

Victor Wembanyama skipped the handshake line after Game 5, drawing league condemnation.
Draymond Green condemned the walk-off on his podcast, urging Wembanyama to “look the killer in the face” and blaming the Spurs’ veteran leadership.
NBA guard Jay Williams argued on ESPN’s First Take that handshakes are a “little-league” ritual, not required of pros.
Wembanyama later said he was “pissed” and feared a hundred games before reaching the Finals again.

History

Historical Context

The NBA’s discipline tightened after the 2006 Knicks-Nuggets brawl, where ten players were ejected and the league faced criticism for inconsistent penalties. Subsequent flagrant-foul rulings—such as Rajon Rondo’s 2009 flagrant-1 and Draymond Green’s 2023 flagrant-2—have made ejections routine. In the 2026 Finals, Victor Wembanyama’s ejection echoes that legacy, underscoring the league’s ongoing push for stricter sportsmanship enforcement.

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Brunson MVP

The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games to win 2026 NBA Finals, earning Jalen Brunson MVP after he averaged 32.6 points.
Victor Wembanyama posted 26.0 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.6 blocks, received two flagrant fouls and was ejected once.
After the series, Brunson taunted Wembanyama with a message and shouted “F*** Wemby!” at the Knicks’ party, while Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie visited Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio.

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