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Game 1 of the NBA Finals featured a bizarre incident late as one fan interrupted the game by running onto the court.
The fan, who was immediately tackled by security, seemed to want to take a selfie with San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, but he never made contact with anyone on the court. The brief stoppage didn't have much impact on the game, as it led to a jump ball once the game resumed.
Still, the NBA made sure to give any fans involved in the incident a significant punishment for interrupting an NBA Finals game. The fan may have been looking for some level of fame, but it now comes with the downside of never being able to attend an NBA game a gain.
Here's what we know so far about the fans who stormed the court in Game 1.
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Fan runs on court at NBA Finals
Midway through the fourth quarter of Game 1, action had to be stopped as a fan ran onto the court. The fan's primary goal appeared to be taking a selfie with Victor Wembanyama, since he ran right to the Spurs center to take a picture.
The incident occurred in the middle of a play as Mikal Bridges appeared to be successfully turning over Dylan Harper in a key moment.
A fan just ran on the court to take a selfie with Wemby 😭💀 pic.twitter.com/5G7Sky6LKy
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 4, 2026The fan took a video of him running onto the court, from the moment he began to the moment he was tackled by security.
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) June 4, 2026After the game, Wembanyama said this is the first time he's every dealt with a situation like this, although he did compare it to the one time he was on the court when a bat interrupted a game.
"I've never been in that situation," he said. "I didn't know how to act. It really surprised me, almost as much as that time [when] a bat crossed the court."
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson was asked about the incident's impact on the game, but Johnson downplayed any reason that it may have played a role in the action.
"I don't think it was an event at all," Johnson said, via ESPN. "I thought security got him out of there. I think everybody moved on to the next play."
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Who is the fan who ran onto the court?
The NBA has not publicized the identity for the fan who ran onto the court, but the league did say a second person was also involved in the incident. However, the NBA did announce that both people are now banned from every NBA game for the rest of their life.
This article will be updated when we learn more about the fans' identities.
BREAKING: The fan who ran onto the court during Game 1 of the NBA Finals has been arrested and banned for life from all NBA arenas.
A second individual involved in the incident will also receive a lifetime ban, per an NBA spokesperson.
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NBA bans fans for life
On Thursday morning, the NBA announced that the league banned two fans for life from any NBA game.
"The individual who entered the court area during Game 1 of The Finals was arrested and will be banned for life from all NBA arenas," an NBA spokesperson said in a statement. "A second individual will also receive a lifetime ban for his role in the incident."
Any fan who runs onto the court during an NBA game is subject to ejection, a ban from future events and the potential for criminal charges.
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