You remember that Victor Wembanyama won another award along with his DPOY title, right? It’s called the PBWA Magic Johnson Award, which honors the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans. The young San Antonio Spurs star has not done anything extraordinary to deserve this credit, aside from just being honest and sincere. It seems, though, that somebody didn’t want him to stay true to himself and speak his mind last night…

The Spurs were eagerly waiting for Wemby to return after sustaining a blow to the jaw in Game 2. And just an hour before the fourth game in their Portland series, they announced that the Frenchman would finally make a comeback, after clearing the concussion protocol. Naturally, after the win, the headlines were on him again. Wemby had a significant impact in overcoming the 17-point deficit, but he was more eager to let people know more about how the league handled his injury.

“I had lots of emotions in me before the game, obviously, excitement, frustration,” Wemby said. “So, I let it all out today.” When asked what the previous few days had been like, he implied that the frustration stemmed from how the NBA’s concussion protocol was implemented. He was eager to return for Game 3, but he wasn’t cleared. “I won’t get into the details,” Wemby told reporters. “I don’t want it to become a distraction.”

“Ask me again after the end of the season. But again, all the doctors, especially on the Spurs, we have the doctors all around, they were great, took great care of me,” Wemby continued. “But the way the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs, again.” Now, here’s when his audio got cut for 10 seconds, and later the video feed was interrupted for 10 more seconds as if to avoid any lip readers translating what the San Antonio star must have said.

Wemby even stated that he had been feeling fine since the cardio he did the day after Game 2. Maxime Aubin, a French reporter, offered further insight. He later asked in French whether the league had any reason why he didn’t suit up in Game 3. “They gave me no reason, but once again, it wasn’t the Spurs that did that, but I won’t talk more about it,” the 22-year-old concluded. On the day he lifted the unanimous DPOY award in front of the Frost Bank Center’s loyalists, Wemby came crashing down. He landed hard on his face and lay down momentarily dazed. He then spoke to his teammates, which signified a positive update.

However, he was immediately put under NBA concussion protocol and couldn’t return to play until completing the league’s required return-to-participation process. Players must pass a series of benchmarks before being cleared. The results are compared to baseline neurological evaluations players take at the start of the season. Fortunately, he did cardio work 24 hours after suffering the injury and increased his activities on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The NBA allowed him to travel to Portland for Game 3, and Wemby was even taking shots during the team’s shootaround Friday morning at the Moda Center.

But he was ruled out, and that decision was one the Spurs star did not appreciate. Jared Weiss of The Athletic even stated the extra measures that Wemby took to play in Game 3. The director of the league’s concussion program did not give him clearance, so the Spurs star requested an examination by an independent neurologist. He completed it, but the NBA had already determined the 22-year-old was not ready.

“I’m not saying that not playing was a good or bad decision,” Wemby diplomatically said. “It was a decision. I’m not saying it was good or bad. But the way the situation was handled, very disappointing.” He was back in Game 4 and played as if he wanted to prove a point. Five days after a scary fall, the Alien played 34 minutes, contributing 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 blocks. The Spurs star was active on defense, sharp in transition, and confident in his movement, with no visible restrictions.

Wemby went 9-of-17 from the field, posting a plus-minus of +28, easily the most in the game. He had an impressive 4 blocks in the third frame, and that’s when the Spurs outscored Portland by 17. The Alien became the first player to log at least 25 points and five blocks in his first career postseason road game since 1973-74, when blocks became an official statistic, according to ESPN Research.

Through the three games Wemby has played in the first round, he has given up only 10 points when contesting a shot, holding Portland to 5-of-30 shooting and blocking 10 shots. As long as he is on the hardwood, Deni Avdija and Co. are going to find it really difficult to claw back into the series. To Portland’s horror, though, the series returns to the Frost Bank Center for Game 5 on Tuesday. Every game from here on is do-or-die for the Blazers, and San Antonio’s to lose.