Stephon Marbury didn’t mince words while reacting to Spurs center Victor Wembanyama’s shove to Knicks star Jalen Brunson in Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals.
Marbury — who spent five seasons with the Knicks in his 13-year NBA career and played nine seasons in the Chinese Basketball Association — went off in an Instagram video that the Knicks “better put that knife in [Wembanyama’s] neck” in Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.
“Wemby is an international, they play dirty overseas just so you know,” Marbury said after San Antonio’s 115-111 road win over New York to cut the series lead to 2-1. “We’re not used to playing dirty in America the way how Wemby just now threw Jalen Brunson.
“Now If I’m watching film and I see Wemby throw somebody on my team… the next game I’m gonna pop him in his rib cage so hard with my elbow that he’s going to fall and drop to the ground and he’s going to wish he never put his hands on me.
“So next game, I guarantee you, after y’all watch film what he did to Jalen Brunson… you better make sure you put that knife in his neck. That’s where it’s at,” said Marbury, a three-time champion, a seven-time All-Star, and a one-time Finals MVP in the CBA.
“… [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 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 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.
