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Victor Wembanyama Flop Leads to Bizarre Sequence in 76ers-Spurs Game

Andre Drummond was nearly ejected for a Victor Wembanyama flop.

Justin Grasso

Dec 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shakes hands with referee Jenna Schroeder (20) before against the Philadelphia 76ers the start of action at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) shakes hands with referee Jenna Schroeder (20) before against the Philadelphia 76ers the start of action at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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The Philadelphia 76ers nearly lost their backup center, Andre Drummond, during the second quarter on Monday night. With roughly seven minutes left to go in the first half, Drummond was whistled for a technical foul, which he committed on San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

The big man was ejected from the game.

A frustrated Drummond understandably argued the call, considering the way it went down. As the veteran center made his way back to the Sixers’ locker room, it was revealed the play would be reviewed. As expected, coaches, players, and fans in attendance were fired up about the decision.

Once it was realized that Wembanyama was barely touched by Drummond and fell over as a result of flopping, the decision to eject Drummond was reversed.

Moments later, Drummond was seen making his way back out on the court to re-enter the game.

The bizarre sequence didn’t just end there. Although it was determined that Wembanyama flopped, the officiating crew rescinded the technical foul in favor of the Sixers.

After everything went down, all technical fouls were wiped clean.

The game continued with both Wembanyama and Drummond on the floor. Through the first seven minutes of action for Drummond, the veteran center accounted for two points and three rebounds.

Meanwhile, Wembanyama went to the bench after 14 minutes of action. He had seven points on 3-8 shooting, along with two assists on the offensive end. Defensively, Wembanyama is off to a dominant start as he racked up four rebounds and seven blocks through two quarters.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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