Spurs forward Keldon Johnson opted to drive into a crowded lane instead of passing to Wembanyama, who was wide open in the corner, infuriating fans. Credit: Instagram / spurs

Spurs players Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan came under fire on social media from fans who say they didn’t give No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama enough time with the ball to prevent the team’s season-opening loss against the Dallas Mavericks.

Even though the Silver and Black held the lead well into the second half of Thursday’s game, things collapsed later on. With only six points under his belt and the Spurs down by five, Wemby re-entered the game during the fourth quarter after spending much of it on the bench in foul trouble.

While the French phenom scored nine points in just a few minutes, some fans grumbled that he could have been a bigger factor. Even though he ended up wide open in the corner during several offensive possessions, neither Sochan and Johnson passed to him.

Following the game, fans roasted the pair on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, accusing them of selfish play.

“Leave it to Keldon Johnson (great guy, but not HIM) to ruin Victor Wembanyama’s debut,” X user @brando2734 wrote. “Victor was scorching hot and did not touch the ball in the last three minutes of crunch time. Wemby is a generational talent and needs to have the ball in his hands down the stretch.”

With the Spurs down by two points and 30 seconds to go, Johnson opted to drive into a crowded lane instead of passing to Wemby, who was wide open and calling for the ball in the corner. Johnson missed his layup, and Sochan lost control of the rebound, ultimately leading the Spurs’ 126-119 loss.

“Still shocked that I saw Keldon Johnson dribble the ball and not bat an eye to Wemby in that crucial last possession last night,” @nicktomoyasu20 wrote on X.

Following the game, others posted videos mocking Sochan and Johnson for not passing to their teammate.

The Spurs next take on the Houston Rockets Friday at Frost Bank Center. We’ll see what fans make of that performance — because they’ve demonstrated they’re more than willing to weigh in publicly.

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This article appears in Oct 18-30, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...