Thunder Star’s Nasty Hair Pull on Victor Wembanyama’s Teammate Sparks Calls for Suspension Across NBA World
Image credits – Imagn ©Image credits – Imagn The OKC Thunder returned to winning ways with a 122-113 win in Game 2—a morale booster after the disappointing loss in the WCF opener. However, the team’s physicality throughout the night sparked massive debate online. While the debate over Victor Wembanyama’s physicality has already grown, tonight it extended to his teammates as well.
And Thunder big Isaiah Hartenstein was at the center of these questionable plays. Especially, the German baller caught everyone’s attention with his ugly act against Stephon Castle early in the fourth quarter. It even resulted in calls for his suspension.
Around the 10th-minute mark, a vulnerable period when no lead is safe, OKC led by 7 points. In an attempt to enter the double-digit mark, the defending champs attempted shots beyond the arc. And to grab one such defensive rebound off the miss, Castle battled Hartenstein under the rim.
The Spurs guard almost had his hands on the ball, but before he could complete it, Isaiah Hartenstein pulled his hair, dropping him to the floor. If not for the clear visibility of the hair pull, it would have been called an offensive foul, but the refs allowed the play to continue. And as an insult to injury, Jared McCain drilled a three-pointer off the second chance.
This sequence went viral online, with a section of fans calling for Hartenstein’s suspension. Given the weightage of the big man’s previous questionable acts in the game, especially the flopping against Victor Wembayama . In a play, Hartenstein appeared to lock his arm up with Wemby under the rim, and flopped to extract a foul.