Victor Wembanyama Emotional After NBA Cup Final Following Grandmother’s Death

After losing the 2025 NBA Cup final, Victor Wembanyama shared some heartbreaking news in the press-conference.

Victor Wembanyama Emotional After NBA Cup Final Following Grandmother’s Death

Victor Wembanyama (Image credits - Firstsportz)

It was a disappointing loss for Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs as they were defeated 124-113 by the New York Knicks in the 2025 NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas on Tuesday night. It was a tight match as the Spurs led the Knicks by five points heading into the fourth quarter. But in the final quarter, the Spurs struggled to score and make defensive stops, resulting in the Knicks building a healthy lead and never looking back.

Victor Wembanyama came off the bench once again, as he did against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the semifinal, as he continues his way back into top condition. The Frenchman scored 18 points to go along with six rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes of action. Tuesday’s game was just his second match after missing 12 games due to a left calf strain.

But even after the loss, the Spurs will still take a lot of positives as they seem to be heading in the right direction. They are currently placed at fourth in a highly competitive Western Conference standings with an 18-7 record and are one of the two teams to beat the Thunder so far this season. If Wembanyama can stay fit and healthy for the remainder of the campaign, the Spurs can cause some issues in the postseason for the top contenders in the West.

Since the 2019-20 season, the Spurs have not won more than 34 games in a regular season. But they are headed for a strong campaign this year, led by their once-in-a-generation center. Injuries have been a roadblock so far in Wembanyama’s NBA career, but the Spurs’ young core have shown that they can compete without their star player.

They may not be championship contenders yet, but they can enter the playoffs as dark horses. After the loss to the Knicks, Wembanyama began tearing up during the press conference.

Sorry, I just lost somebody today.

Wembanyama cut the press conference short and left the room after answering two questions. It was later revealed that the 21-year-old lost his grandmother earlier in the day.

Jalen Brunson is the leader of the New York Knicks

Since being drafted as the 33rd pick by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2018 NBA Draft, Jalen Brunson has shown immense growth with every passing season. While there were flashes of brilliance during his time in Dallas, Luka Doncic was the leading man.

Jalen Brunson
Jalen Brunson (Image credits – CNN)

Following the win, Brunson’s teammate Josh Hart spoke about the importance of the Knicks guard.

He is our driving force on the offensive end. He’s able to manipulate the defense into getting himself an open shot and getting other people involved. That’s what we need, especially late in that fourth quarter when we need a bucket, he’s going to make the right play.

After joining the Knicks on free agency in 2022, Brunson finally got the role he wanted – Ball-handling duties, primary scorer, and the leader of the team. The move paid off for the guard and the franchise as Brunson led the Knicks to their first conference final in 25 years last season.

Jalen Brunson responds to the critics

Jalen Brunson has been one of the best players in the league so far this season. The Knicks star is currently averaging 28.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.4 assists in the regular season. Coming off a 40-point game against the Orlando Magic in the semifinal, Brunson went on to score 25 points to go along with four rebounds and eight assists in the final. His performances led him to be awarded the 2025 NBA Cup MVP.

During the post-match interview on NBA on Prime, Brunson was pleased to get back at Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash for their criticism of the East.

It (Eastern conference) is tougher than people give it credit for. I know you (Dirk Nowitzki) were in the west your entire career, you’ve (Steve Nash) lost to an east team in the finals 40 years ago. But I did text him (pointing at Nowitzki) the other day, he finally said some kind words to me.

The 29-year-old has had his fair share of critics throughout his career. His lack of size was often seen as a liability, and then his move to the Knicks from the Mavs received some criticism from the likes of Nowitzki and Nash, as they believed that the Eastern Conference is inferior to the West.

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