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Credit: On the Ball, Skip Bayless
The New York Knicks put together a performance for the ages in the 2026 NBA Finals, winning the franchise’s first title since 1973.
On the flip side, the San Antonio Spurs suffered an embarrassing string of losses where the wheels came off the bus at the most important time. That includes blowing an historic 29-point lead in Game 4 as well as a 16-point lead in the decisive Game 5.
At the center of that story was Victor Wembanyama, the 22-year-old phenom who carried the Spurs on his back but also made critical errors and at times showed poor judgment during the series. His reputation was dinged thanks to a series of overly physical fouls, cocky moments, and salty media interactions. It made him an easy target for hot-take artists like Skip Bayless, who took to calling him “Victim Wembanyama.”
In a recent episode of his On the Ball podcast, Fox Sports NBA analyst Ric Bucher conducted an autopsy of the Spurs’ failed NBA Finals series and pushed back against the harsh criticism Wemby is facing from some corners.
One thing Bucher wants to make sure doesn’t get lost in the conversation around Wemby and the Spurs is that they’re a very young team that got ahead of the curve this year.
“This is Wemby and the Spurs’ first taste of playoff basketball ever. They’re not supposed to be on a stage this big yet,” said Bucher. “They’re supposed to be at home taking notes of what’s going on and sifting through the bones of why they’re at home, what they did wrong, what they have to do better, how they have to act, what they have to do and not do to take the next step.
“We’re watching them figure that out in real time, and some of you want to declare who and what he is and isn’t right now, right in the middle of that growth curve. It makes for content to fill a show, and I’m sure it attracts an audience, but it’s dumb and not all that useful other than to fill up airtime.
“I’ve come to understand why it is that we have these rush-to-judgment takes though. It’s to produce the juiciest content as fast as possible. Again, I know I’m not breaking news here. What you may not be aware of is that a lot of this is driven by the people behind the camera. All, most of them, not all, but a majority, all they care about is cutting through the noise and delivering numbers because that’s all their bosses care about. They care about the credibility of whoever is in front of the camera only to the extent that it could impact the numbers. Otherwise, it’s ‘stand out by whatever means necessary.’ It sacrifices accuracy and true insight and authenticity for the sake of expediency.”
Bucher then focused his ire on one person in particular, Skip Bayless.
“Skip Bayless is now saying Victor Wembanyama doesn’t have the clutch gene because of how he has played so far in this series,” he continued. “I can’t prevent myself from smiling or laughing at that notion. And he, of course, has tied it to his feelings about LeBron James. It really is funny. I mean, it’s just so blatant it’s funny.
“I’m all for strong takes. I’m all for not shying away from providing unvarnished perspective on athletes, no matter how big or popular. But this just feels like clickbaiting for clickbaiting’s sake.”
The post Ric Bucher defends Victor Wembanyama from Skip Bayless and ‘clickbaiting for clickbaiting’s sake’ appeared first on Awful Announcing.
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