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LAS VEGAS — Pop singer Britney Spears said Thursday she was hit by a member of the San Antonio Spurs security team while attempting to approach rookie forward Victor Wembanyama outside a Las Vegas restaurant on Wednesday night.
The incident that reportedly prompted Spears to file a police complaint came two days before Wembanyama is set to make his much-anticipated Summer League debut against the Charlotte Hornets at UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center on Friday. No charges were brought in connection with the incident.
“I recognized an athlete [Wembanyama] in my hotel lobby when I went to dinner,” Spears wrote in a lengthy statement on Instagram. “Later I went to a restaurant in another hotel and saw him again. I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success. It was really loud, so I patted his shoulder to get his attention.”
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Wembanyama, 19, told reporters Thursday that he was walking through a busy arena and that his security team had instructed him not to stop to talk to any fans because of “crowds” outside Catch, a nearby seafood restaurant “ Aria Resort on the Las Vegas Strip.
“A person [Spears] called me”, Wembanyama told reporters at a team training session on Thursday. “I couldn’t stop. This person grabbed me from behind. I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and didn’t stop. This person grabbed me from behind, not my shoulder. All I know is that security turned them away. I don’t know with how much force.”
Wembanyama, who only hours later realized Spears was the one who approached him, added that he “enjoyed a nice dinner.” [and had] “A fun night out with the boys,” and that he thought the incident was “not a big deal.”
Spears denied Wembanyama’s claim that she tried to “grab him from behind,” saying that the security team member “backhanded me in the face in front of a crowd without turning around.” The Grammy-winning singer added that the force of the blow initially knocked her off balance and caused her to lose her glasses.
“It’s important to share this story and to ask the public to lead by example and to treat all people with respect,” said Spears, noting that she has not yet received an apology from Wembanyama, his security team or Spurs have .
The 7ft 4 tall Wembanyama became the first French player to be named the No. 1 draft pick last month after drawing comparisons to previous teenage basketball prodigies like LeBron James and Lew Alcindor. The excitement surrounding his NBA debut — dubbed “Wembymania” — generated a record-breaking television viewing for the draft, reaching more than 6 million viewers, and tickets for his Summer League debut sold out days in advance. Prices for a general admission ticket have gone up to over $200 a piece on secondary websites.
Spears, 41, was once a teenage sensation in her own right, with her 1999 debut album, Baby One More Time, selling more than 25 million copies.
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