Victor Wembanyama tried to shake hands with a ref who bizarrely didn't notice him
San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama had a strange encounter with a referee before a game at NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas.
Wembanyama was seen shaking hands with each referee before tip-off against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday. Even though Wembanyama is one of the most exciting prospects we have ever seen in team sports and he stands at 7-foot-3-ish in socks, one referee somehow did not notice him.
The big man approached him to extend his hand for a greeting and the referee literally looked like a non-playable character in a video game. It was strange to watch:
The referee left Victor Wembanyama hanging pic.twitter.com/VNkxNUnU66
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) July 10, 2023
Wembanyama approached the other officials, including Mehdi Difallah and Ryan Johnson.
But when he got to Nate Cearley, the referee appeared lost in thought and focused on something else entirely. Here is another angle of what happened:
Lol Wemby pic.twitter.com/ACXBrn3D2z
— Pranav Sriraman (@PranavSriraman) July 10, 2023
Fortunately, based on this video, it seems that Cearley eventually noticed the rising superstar standing in front of him.
But for a moment, it seemed like this one was going to have an awkward end.