When the San Antonio Spurs entered Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, they had a big chance in front of them. With the series tied 2-2, the Spurs were hoping to move one win away from the NBA Finals.
But things did not go their way on Tuesday night as OKC defeated San Antonio (127-114) and grabbed a 3-2 lead in the series. After the loss, however, much of the attention shifted towards Victor Wembanyama, and the wave of criticisms from an NBA analyst.
Skip Bayless’ Latest Criticism of Victor Wembanyama
If you follow basketball, you know how analyst Skip Bayless doesn’t hold back when it comes to Wembanyama.
In a recent episode of the “Gil’s Arena” podcast, Bayless, as usual, went after the eight-footer and criticized him for not just how Wembanyama played in Game 5, but also the way he handled himself after the loss.
“The alien looked like just another Earthling last night in a turning point game 5. The alien looked bad during the game, late in the game, and especially after the game when he ducked the media. That was not taking accountability at all. That was just straight-out baby behavior to me,” Bayless said during the podcast.
Skip Bayless says in game 5 the alien proved to be a hoax on both ends of the floor:
“The alien looked like just another Earthling last night in a turning point game 5. The alien looked bad during the game, late in the game and especially after the game when he ducked the media.… pic.twitter.com/Q9Ed4hpLH4
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 27, 2026
If we look at how Wembanyama played in the first four games of this series against OKC, the expectations going into Game 5 were high. He had averaged 30.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists over those four games while shooting 52.6% from the field.
But Tuesday night was completely different as he finished with 20 points on just 4-of-15 shooting from the field and missed all five of his three-point attempts. Most of his scoring came from the free-throw line, where he went a perfect 12-for-12. Along with that, he added six rebounds, one assist, three blocks, and two steals in 38 minutes.
The Spurs as a team also struggled from the start. They trailed by 2 points after the first quarter and by 11 at halftime. In the third quarter, OKC had the largest lead of the game, 20 points.
Although San Antonio tried to fight back, the Thunder maintained control in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 points, and eventually won the game. It can be said that Wembanyama’s effort simply was not enough.
As if the loss itself was not enough, another moment after the game added more criticism toward the Spurs star.
While De’Aaron Fox was speaking to reporters during the postgame media session, Wembanyama reportedly skipped the media area entirely and headed straight toward the team bus.
Since NBA rules require players to be available for postgame interviews, the incident quickly caught attention around the league. Later, ESPN reported that the NBA reviewed the situation and decided to issue Wembanyama only a warning rather than impose a formal punishment.
That decision sparked a backlash across social media. Either way, Game 5 was a rough night for Wembanyama, both on and off the court, and now the pressure will only grow as the Spurs try to avoid elimination in the next game.
