A growing protest is brewing among NBA fans who believe Adam Silver’s league has an officiating problem, and its 7’4″ unicorn, Victor Wembanyama, is the primary target.

Against the Suns tonight, Wembanyama shot just two free throws. That’s where the sequence below might compel you to think he deserved more. Notably, the 22-year-old faced a double-team from Grayson Allen and Mark Williams. While trying to get to the rim, they practically hacked him. Neither of them got a piece of the ball.

The conclusion? A turnover for Victor Wembanyama as he fell to the ground and lost the ball. The slow motion showed Williams’ hands coming down on his arms. The announcers had a one-word reaction. “Goodness,” he said as the video captured Wemby trying to fight through three arms at once.

For most players, the officials would blow the whistle. But anomalies, especially big men, have a hard time getting such calls. Officials helped defenders when Shaquille O’Neal came charging at them. Victor Wembanyama seems to be getting the same treatment more or less. At 7’4”, defenses have left him with scars and soreness.

However, even the referees are dealt a hard hand in these circumstances. Victor Wembanyama has a natural advantage, with his size and skill. The Spurs phenom can play through soft contact. Most contests don’t really bother him. So aside from the obvious intervention, when does contact qualify as excessive in his case?

This situation was a clear example. And fans feel the NBA might purposely be looking to nerf the former Rookie of the Year.

NBA fans blame Adam Silver for Victor Wembanyama’s treatment

Most fans had a similar reaction watching this no-call against Victor Wembanyama. “Holy no call, how was that not called?” one such reaction read. And there’s really little to debate. Even though Wemby was in a sweep motion, the contact was undeniable. However, some fans feel the issue is far bigger.

One fan wrote, “The NBA is out to get him hurt because they don’t want him as the face of the NBA.” There’s always been an argument that USA players get preference in being the poster boy. Anthony Edwards is highly endorsed. But peers, including Ant, feel Victor Wembanyama is slated to take the throne.

He’s certainly acted that way. The Spurs’ cornerstone was responsible for the NBA having its highest viewership during the All-Star game since 2011. Furthermore, his playing for a legacy franchise like the Spurs adds weight to his case. Not that Wemby cares. His focus is on getting better at the sport, finding ways to be even more dominant than he already is.

That’s where fans feel officials need to be uniform with their calls. “Should average 15 fts the way teams defend him,” a fan mentioned. Through all the scars and bruises, Wemby is averaging 7.1 free throws per game. He’s in the top 15. Clearly, fans feel the 22-year-old needs to be higher, and they are also drawing an obvious comparison.

“If that’s SGA, that 22 FT no questions,” a fan wrote. Jokes aside, there’s a difference between Wembanyama’s playstyle and that of other big men. Joel Embiid draws nearly 9 free throws per game because he primarily operates in the interior. Victor Wembanyama mixes it up, often getting fewer calls because he spends time on the perimeter hunting for threes. As for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he drives more than most players. The whistle follows those who embrace contact.

Wembanyama does too. But it’s hard to officiate him like other players because of the combination of size and playstyle. With time, the Spurs center will probably learn the art of manipulating the whistle. For now, he has to endure some punishment.