The NBA Finals are delivering drama on and off the ball. In the middle of a tight Game 5 between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks, a familiar face tried to get under Victor Wembanyama’s skin — and got absolutely nothing in return.
Jeremy Sochan, who spent two seasons as Wembanyama’s teammate in San Antonio before signing with the Knicks this offseason, had made headlines before the series even started. Sochan claimed he knew Wembanyama’s weaknesses from their time together and promised to exploit them. During Game 5, he attempted to back that up with some on-court chirping.
It didn’t work.
During a dead-ball moment, Sochan approached Wembanyama and appeared to say something. The Spurs’ superstar didn’t bite. Instead, he calmly turned his shoulder, brushed past Sochan, and walked away as if the exchange never happened. The moment, captured on camera by ClutchPoints, quickly went viral.
“That’s the kind of mental game you have to have in the Finals,” one analyst noted during the broadcast. “Wembanyama didn’t take the bait. He’s locked in.”
The exchange underscores a larger theme of this Finals series: Sochan’s move to New York was supposed to give the Knicks an insider’s edge on how to slow down Wembanyama. But through four games, the rookie sensation had already averaged 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Sochan’s intel, according to fans and commentators, hasn’t exactly paid off.
Wembanyama, for his part, has repeatedly deflected questions about Sochan’s trash talk. After Game 4, he told reporters, “I don’t play against Jeremy. I play against the Knicks.” That focus was on full display in Game 5, where he ignored the distraction and kept his eyes on the prize.
The Spurs, up 3-1 in the series entering Game 5, appeared poised to close out the championship. Sochan’s antics may have backfired — instead of rattling his former teammate, he handed the internet a highlight of Wembanyama’s unshakable composure.
Whether the Knicks can force a Game 6 remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Victor Wembanyama isn’t interested in side stories. He’s chasing a ring.
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