San Antonio's young star speaks out after a hard shove

The San Antonio Spurs' arena was charged with tension the moment the Clippers' center, Ivica Zubac, sent Victor Wembanyama flying after a hard shove. Watching the young basketball star get pushed to the court like that, it was hard to imagine what was going through his mind. The third quarter was looking tense and the game was getting rougher each second. Clippers' lead was being challenged and Zubac was not happy with the officiating. He had already shouted at the officials. He was really angry. He had made a clear foul and wasn't called. Zubac's frustration boiled over when he thought he was fouled. He was angry that he wasn't called. Wembanayama blocked Zubac's attempted dunk and Zubac was late defensively as Harrison Barnes cut the Clippers lead. Zubac, still frustrated and fuming, rushed into the paint and gave a hard hip check and elbow to Wembanyama’s back, sending him flying to the baseline. The young star then charged towards the center. Wembanyama is a great player, but this was too much for him to handle. He felt it was unfair and tried to talk to the referees about it. Even Harrison Barnes, who was not a part of it all, had to be pulled back by the coaching staff as he charged the Clippers. Wembanyama's frustration was not just about Zubac. He had expressed his frustration about not getting fair calls from the officials. His entire postgame press conference was filled with his frustration; it's not just about Zubac, it is about what he sees as a lack of respect from officials. When asked if he believes he gets a fair whistle from officials, Wembanyama straight up said, “No. ” Wembanyama has had to deal with a lot of contact and physical play, and it seems like he's reached his limit. It was clear that the young star was not just mad at Zubac and the team. He was mad at the officiating.

Zubac himself didn't think he was in the wrong and said he had an honest reaction to the situation, and that it was the emotions taking over. However, he did say he apologized to Wembanyama. He understood that Wembanyama might have felt it was not appropriate for the game. Zubac did have a game to remember with 21 points and 22 rebounds. That was why it was strange to see him do such a thing. Zubac did not get a foul. Wembanyama did not get a technical. Wembanyama didn't get a technical and could have easily reacted the same way. Officiating has become a controversial topic in the NBA. Players have been complaining about lack of calls and protecting players. Even Mitch Johnson, the acting head coach of the Spurs, agreed. He said, ""You'll get reactions like that. It’s probably surprising he hasn’t reacted like that earlier. " He might be right, but this was not the way to change things. San Antonio's young star has to deal with a lot of contact, and it seems like he's had enough. He has had to deal with unfair situations on the court. What makes things worse, is that he has to deal with a lot of physical play, and he has to protect himself. He has had to deal with teams trying to limit his unique ability to shoot 3-pointers and dribble like a guard. He has had to deal with not getting fair calls. He has had to deal with being pushed around and not getting fair calls. There's a lot of work for basketball to do to make their players feel safer.

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