'He’s Lucky': Stephen A. Smith Sounds Off on Spurs HC After His Justification of Wemby’s Elbow on Naz Reid 

In Game 4 of the playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Minnesota Timberwolves, Naz Reid and Jaden McDaniels crowded Wemby near the rim, causing Wemby to swing his elbow, landing on Reid’s chin, flooring him. Refs immediately reviewed it to upgrade the call to Flagrant foul 2 and an automatic ejection.

However, Mitch Johnson defended Wemby’s physical act at the presser, citing the physicality against him.

“I’m glad he took matters into his own hands,” Johnson said as he immediately clarified that he doesn’t support the elbow.

While Johnson wanted to highlight the physicality of Wemby, Smith questioned the timing of it. He also warned the coach about how his comments could have negatively affected the way the league reviewed the decision.

 “You said that in the immediate aftermath of the game following his (ejection),” Smith explained. “He’s very lucky that the league didn’t say, ‘You know what? Bump this. We got to send a message. We can’t let Victor Wembanyama get away with that. He’s got to sit out game five.’”

Spurs fans are no doubt glad the Alien is not sitting out Game 5, even though Smith thinks the HC’s statement might have led to it.

Does Wemby deserve a suspension?

Following the ejection, fans flooded social media demanding that the league force additional punishment on Wemby for elbowing Reid.

Some even called for multiple game suspensions. Meanwhile, coach Johnson dismissed the suspension angle and stressed that Wemby had “zero intent” behind the act.

Meanwhile, Stephen A. Smith felt that the big man crossed the line with the act.

“I would not have wanted to suspend Victor Wembanyama either, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t deserve it.”

On the other hand, Naz Reid, who took the blow, seemed locked in for the Game 5 challenge, as he told, “Pain is weakness leaving the body,” after the incident.