On Nov. 19, 2004, a thrown drink sparked the infamous Malice at the Palace and forever changed how professional sports viewed the relationship between athletes and fans. More than two decades later, the NBA is once again confronting questions about where passion ends and unacceptable behavior begins.

That conversation resurfaced during the 2026 NBA Finals after San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was targeted by hostile New York Knicks fans outside the team’s hotel following Game 4. Video showed eggs being thrown in his direction as he entered the Ritz-Carlton NoMad, while reports also described bottles and laser pointers being aimed at Spurs players amid chaotic postgame celebrations.

“I didn’t really think much of it,” Wemby told reporters. “I just saw that one video of the eggs, I didn’t see any other one. But, it’s okay, I don’t dislike it. Obviously, it’s not good at all, but it doesn’t bother me.”

Wembanyama also revealed that the egg was not the only object involved.

“Yeah, we did hear some things, yeah. I didn’t see any. I don’t have no idea. I think it was a bottle because it was like water on the bus. But I don’t know. I didn’t see anything.”

The comments aligned with reports from outside the Ritz-Carlton NoMad, where videos showed multiple objects being thrown toward Spurs personnel while players entered the hotel under security escort.

Footage of the incident quickly went viral after Game 4. While no arrests were made at the scene, the situation has since drawn additional scrutiny. An NYPD spokesperson later said the department initially had “nothing on file” regarding the incident, though authorities subsequently launched a review of the footage following widespread media attention.

The hotel incident unfolded against a backdrop of increasingly chaotic celebrations throughout the Finals. Following New York’s historic Game 4 comeback, dozens of people were taken into custody around Manhattan and multiple officers were reportedly injured as massive crowds gathered near Madison Square Garden.

The hostility has not been limited to players. Multiple videos showing Spurs supporters being harassed, chased and, in some cases, physically assaulted in New York have circulated online throughout the series, prompting players from both teams to publicly condemn the behavior.

One of the most serious incidents reportedly occurred after Game 3, when a Spurs fan wearing a Victor Wembanyama jersey was allegedly swarmed by five men, punched repeatedly and stripped of his jersey on a Manhattan street. The footage became one of several viral examples cited by players when discussing fan behavior during the series.

Victor Wembanyama and Several Other Players Spoke Out Against the Attacks on Spurs Fans

Wembanyama addressed those incidents earlier in the week.

“My thoughts of course [are] that we can’t forget it’s a game. We’re just playing a game out there. I am all for passion, but [with] the respect of each other. It’s unacceptable.”

Spurs forward Julian Champagnie, a Brooklyn native, was equally direct.

“I feel we’re here to play a basketball game. That’s the main thing. I feel like, for the fans, it should never be that serious where you have to jump people, beat people up, follow people home. Whether we win, they win, it doesn’t really matter. Everybody should be able to come and enjoy the game, no matter who they’re rooting for.”

Even Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns urged fans to keep the rivalry within the boundaries of the sport.

“The game is built off of respect and passion. We want everyone to respect each other. We want everyone to enjoy basketball at its purest state. It’s the NBA finals. There’s no better place to watch basketball. Leave the physicality to everyone on the court.”

The incidents have also drawn criticism from prominent basketball voices. ESPN host Mike Greenberg called those responsible “a disgrace,” while Stephen A. Smith said, “This is disgusting,” and argued that athletes should not have to deal with behavior that hides behind the anonymity of a crowd.

The series now shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5, with New York holding a 3-1 lead and sitting one victory away from ending a championship drought that stretches back to 1973. Whether the Finals return to Madison Square Garden for Game 6 remains to be seen, but the conversation surrounding fan behavior has already become one of the defining off-court storylines of the series.