Victor Wembanyama has claimed Britney Spears grabbed him from behind before his security guard stepped in and allegedly slapped the pop star in the face.
Spears, who is believed to be a big NBA fan and recognised the 7ft 4in phenom while walking behind him into a restaurant, was reported to have tapped him on the shoulder to try and get his attention so they could take a photo.
However, at that point Wembanyama's security detail - San Antonio Spurs' Director of Team Security Damian Smith - allegedly slapped Spears in the face with the back of his hand. However, reports from TMZ state security footage shows Smith pushing her away - with Spears' hand then hitting her own face.
Wembanyama, the most-hyped prospect to enter the league since LeBron James, is in Las Vegas to make his Spurs debut at NBA Summer League. He was asked about the incident on Thursday and insisted he had no idea the person in question was one of the most famous musicians in history.
He said: "What happened last night? I saw the news obviously, I woke up to a couple of phone calls. Something happened when I was walking with some team security into a restaurant. We were in a hall where there were a lot of people, people calling me. There was one person calling me but we'd talked before with security not to stop because it would make a crowd, so I couldn't stop.
"That person was calling me 'sir, sir', then that person grabbed me from behind, I didn't see what happened because I was walking forward and they told me not to stop, but that person grabbed me from behind, not on my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind.
"I knew the security pushed her away, I don't know with how much force, but security pushed her away and I didn't stop to look, I kept walking and enjoyed a nice dinner."
Wembanyama also conceded he thought his security team was joking with him when he found out it was Spears. He continued: "I didn't know for a couple of hours, but when I came back to the hotel I had forgotten about it. I didn't forget but I thought it was no big deal, then security told me it was Britney Spears. At first I thought they were joking, but it turns out it was Britney Spears. I didn't know because I never saw her face. I just kept walking and that was it."
Spears later took to Instagram to speak out on the "traumatic experience", and expressed she was yet to receive an apology from Wembanyama or the Spurs. She also voiced her disappointment at the incident occuring when she was simply trying to congratulate him on his career so far.
"Traumatic experiences are not new to me and I have had my fair share of them," she wrote. "I was not prepared for what happened to me last night. I recognized an athlete in my hotel lobby as I was heading to dinner. I later went to a restaurant at a different hotel and saw him again. I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success. It was really loud, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. I am aware of the players statement where he mentions "| grabbed him from behind" but I simply tapped him on the shoulder. His security then back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face.
"I get swarmed by people all the time. In fact, that night. I was swarmed by a group of at least 20 fans. My security team didn't hit any of them. This story is super embarrassing to share with the world but its out there already. However, I think it's important to share this story and to urge people in the public eye to set an example and treat all people with respect.
"Physical violence is happening too much in this world. Often behind closed doors. I stand with all the victims and my heart goes out to all of you!!! I have yet to get a public apology from the player, his security or their organization. | hope they will...
"I cherish the tremendous amounts of love and support I am receiving at the moment. Thank you to the Las Vegas PD and the detectives for their support."
