Stephon Marbury didn’t hold back his opinions following an intense moment during Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals, where Spurs center Victor Wembanyama shoved Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
In an impassioned Instagram video, Marbury, who played five seasons with the Knicks during his 13-year NBA career and later spent nine seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association, urged the Knicks to retaliate in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night. “They better put that knife in [Wembanyama’s] neck,” he exclaimed.
Marbury expressed his views on international basketball, commenting, “Wemby is an international player, and they play dirty overseas, just so you know.” This statement followed San Antonio’s 115-111 victory in New York, which narrowed the series lead to 2-1. “We’re not accustomed to the kind of dirty play we just saw from Wemby when he threw Jalen Brunson,” Marbury continued.
He added, “If I’m watching film and I see Wemby throw someone from my team, the next game, I’m going to hit him so hard in the rib cage with my elbow that he’ll drop to the ground and regret ever laying a hand on me.”
Marbury, a celebrated player with three championships, seven All-Star appearances, and a Finals MVP title in the CBA, firmly stated, “After watching the footage of what he did to Jalen Brunson, you better make sure you retaliate in kind. That’s where it’s at.”
“… [Wembanyama] said he was going to come in and win Game 2. He did exactly what he was supposed to do. So make sure you take know and next game you bring that same energy, alright?”
Brunson fell to the ground when Wembanyama shoved him hard with two hands in the first quarter.
Brunson confronted the Frenchman on the court as the Spurs’ Stephon Castle held him back.
No foul was called.
After the game, Brunson was asked what happened during with Wembanyama during the play — and whether the level of physicality bothered him.
“No, to answer your second question,” Brunson said. “And whatever you saw is what you saw.”
It wasn’t the only scuffle that occurred during in the first quarter.
Knicks guard Josh Hart was assessed a technical foul for shoving San Antonio’s Luke Kornet after a made basket, which cut the Spurs lead to seven points.