Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett called out San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama for his emotional response to beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. 2 billion fans worldwide watched Wembanyama dethrone the Thunder. For Garnett, the response was too strong.
Garnett reminded Wembanyama of his NBA Finals debut against the New York Knicks, he said, per KG Certified.
“That was too emotional for me,” Garnett said. “He got four more games to try to get it. You’ve got to go to the Finals now. You still have to be even-keeled right here. And that trophy. That’s cool. Yeah, we beat them. Cool. But I got a whole other sight that’s up here. It’s going to take my energy to run up this hill. Nah, I can’t. That’s how bad they wanted to beat OKC.”
While Wembanyama and the Spurs still have the tall task of facing the Knicks in the Finals, Garnett sent a warning to fans in New York.
“The Knicks ain’t seen this type of defense right here. They ain’t seen this San Antonio and they ain’t seen this type of Wemby,” Garnett added. “This a different Wemby.”
Kevin Garnett says Victor Wembanyama was ‘too emotional’ after winning the Western Conference Finals pic.twitter.com/rDyvBNFxKI
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) June 3, 2026
The Spurs will host the Knicks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday.
Victor Wembanyama reveals emotional response from Gregg Popovich
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Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) listens to a question during media day for the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center
Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama met with Gregg Popovich after Game 7 as the former head coach and mentor shared a special moment with the Western Conference Finals MVP. Popovich has remained close to the team since stepping down as head coach last season due to health issues. Still, the Hall of Fame head coach has been a strong voice in the locker room, including a fiery speech after the Spurs dropped Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Thunder, and the team hasn’t lost since.
Wembanyama revealed his talk with Popovich during Finals’ Media Day on Tuesday.
“Yes of course I saw Pop right away when we landed, and the emotion was really something I haven’t felt in a while,” Wembanyama explained. “I don’t even know since when. Coming back down from this is a challenge and it’s not done yet. We still need to really come back down to earth and realize that we haven’t done the hardest yet. The job isn’t done at all. We still got about 30 plus hours to reset.”
Victor Wembanyama, on the Knicks: “It's a great team of experienced guys who are not here by chance, but by relentless effort over the years. … They're right where they're supposed to be, in my opinion. All of them are going to be super hungry in their own way.” pic.twitter.com/VnCzeyvJK3
— Spurs Nation (@Spurs_Nation) June 2, 2026
The Spurs are facing the Knicks in an NBA Finals rematch for the first time in 27 years, which was the last time the Knicks won the Eastern Conference Finals.
Hall of Fame forward Kevin Garnett called out San Antonio Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama for his emotional response to beating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. 2 billion fans worldwide watched Wembanyama dethrone the Thunder. For Garnett, the response was too strong.