‘Don’t need to beat…’ – Victor Wembanyama reflects on his cheap shot at Jalen Brunson during NBA Finals

Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesVictor Wembanyama has reflected on his controversial shove on Jalen Brunson during the 2026 NBA Finals, admitting that the series exposed his limitations as the San Antonio Spurs lost to the New York Knicks.The Spurs had entered the Finals as favourites after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. However, they were beaten 4-1 by New York, with Wembanyama later acknowledging that he was far from his best.The French centre became a villain for some fans during the series after pushing Brunson near the basket in Game 3. The incident went unpunished during the game, with the NBA later acknowledging that officials had missed the foul but choosing not to upgrade it to a flagrant.Victor Wembanyama admits he went too far against Jalen BrunsonSpeaking in an interview with 60 Minutes, Wembanyama reflected on the physicality of the Finals and the lessons he took from the defeat.“It showed my limits more than anything else,” he said. “Going out there, you need to play basketball. You don’t need to beat the s*** out of people, if you want to win, at least.”The comments offered a candid assessment of a series in which Wembanyama struggled to make the impact expected of him. The Knicks went on to claim the championship in five games, with Brunson earning Finals MVP honours.Despite the disappointment, Wembanyama also recalled the Spurs’ impressive run before the championship series. San Antonio enjoyed a winning streak during February and went on to eliminate Oklahoma City, giving the young team reason to believe it could compete for the title.“Last year, there was this, I think the month of February, we didn’t lose a single game,” Wembanyama said. “[These are the] moments where everything clicks, you know.”Now entering his fourth NBA season, the 7-foot-4 centre appears focused on learning from the experience rather than dwelling on the criticism. He also credited former Spurs coach Gregg Popovich with teaching him to maintain perspective after both wins and losses.“After a win, you’re rarely as good as you thought you were, and after a loss you’re rarely as bad as you thought you were,” Wembanyama recalled Popovich telling the team.For the Spurs, the challenge will be turning the disappointment of the Finals into progress, while Wembanyama looks to take the next step in his development.Read more:‘Shut up’ – Fans go off at Kyle Kuzma’s latest ‘feeds the division’ take on Donald TrumpEvan Turner has just one thing to say about Giannis Antetokounmpo after watching Cooper Flagg‘He did tell me’: What Jayson Tatum really ‘regretted’ not doing when Jaylen Brown was his teammate