(Video) Stan Van Gundy Casually Makes ‘Deportation Joke’ on Victor Wembanyama During Live Broadcast

NBA broadcaster Stan Van Gundy shocked viewers with his comments on Victor Wembanyama.

(Video) Stan Van Gundy Casually Makes ‘Deportation Joke’ on Victor Wembanyama During Live Broadcast

Stan Van Gundy made a deportation joke on Victor Wembanyama (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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In one of the best games of the 2025-26 campaign so far, the San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, beat the NBA Champions Oklahoma City Thunder 111-109 in the 2025 NBA Cup West semifinal in Las Vegas on Saturday night. It was Wembanyama’s first game from injury after missing the last 12 games due to a left calf strain.

While Victor Wembanyama may have missed action for a month, he did not show any signs of rust as he came off the bench and recorded 22 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in under 21 minutes. He led the team in scoring along with Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox.

It was only the second loss of the season for the Thunder, ending their 16-game winning streak. The win propelled the Spurs to fourth in the Western Conference standings with a 17-7 record. The win has shown that the Spurs may be one of the underdogs and could mount a challenge against the top contenders in the West.

Wembanyama, for his size and speed, has often been described as an “alien” since being drafted as the number one pick in the 2023 NBA draf,t but no one has really used the word during a broadcast. But that changed on Saturday as former New Orleans Pelicans coach Stan Van Gundy used the word during the NBA Cup clash.

In the fourth quarter, when Wembanyama was shooting free throws, the broadcast team compared him to an alien. When addressing the talk of Wembanyama’s nickname “The Alien”, Van Gundy said the following:

The only thing is, in the current political environment, you gotta watch that word, Michael Grady. They deport those. We do not want Victor Wembanyama deported. Let’s go with a different nickname.

While Van Gundy may have been sarcastic, considering the current political landscape in the USA, the comments were not expected on a national broadcast.

Fans with mixed reactions after Stan Van Gundy’s comments

Following the comments, NBA fans were quick to display their shock and bemusement on the internet. Here are some of the reactions:

San Antonio Spurs to take on the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup Final

Prior to the Spurs knocking out the Thunder, last season’s finalists, the New York Knicks took out the Orlando Magic 132-120 in the East Semifinal. Jalen Brunson was the star of the show with 40 points to his name and set up his teammates eight times. As Wembanyama made his much-awaited return and showed that he is the real deal, Brunson has steadily made his way into the MVP conversations with his stellar displays.

The Knicks guard is averaging 28.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists so far this campaign, leading the Knicks to an 18-7 record and second in the Eastern Conference standings.

Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson
Victor Wembanyama (Left) and Jalen Brunson (Right) (Image credits – AP News)

Brunson, who has become a fan-favorite in the city of New York, has shown no signs of slowing down and the clash against Wembanyama in the 2025 NBA Cup final in Vegas promises to be a thrilling and exciting match for the NBA world.

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