Jeremy Sochan downplays the altercation with Jarred Vanderbilt
Jeremy Sochan chose to downplay the altercation with Jarred Vanderbilt on Wednesday night at the Frost Bank Center. After the Spurs victory over the Lakers (107-91), the San Antonio forward found himself at the center of an incident involving the Los Angeles player, who poked him in the face after the final buzzer.
A verbal exchange that quickly escalates
« I must have said something to him during the game, and it might not have been very nice, » Sochan explained. « He must have taken it badly and told me to see him after the game. So I did. And we just had a polite exchange. I was, I think, intact and very cheerful and the other person was not. Yeah, he was just not emotionally stable at that moment. So that’s something he needs to work on. That’s just life. »
The incident occurred as the teams were leaving the court. After a brief exchange of words, De’Aaron Fox of the Spurs stepped in to defuse the situation. Despite the point guard’s intervention, Vanderbilt quickly struck Sochan in the face with his left index finger. Julian Champagnie immediately pushed Vanderbilt while several players, including Luka Dončić and Jaxson Hayes, intervened to calm things down.
Jarred Vanderbilt poked Jeremy Sochan in the face after Lakers-Spurs wrapped up 👀pic.twitter.com/mfDjee7CZj
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 8, 2026
Sochan returns to playing time despite uncertainty
On the court, Sochan contributed to the victory with 6 points on 2-for-2 shooting and one assist in 11 minutes. This performance came in his second consecutive game after being removed from the rotation for the previous four games. Coach Mitch Johnson was pleased: « I think he fought like crazy, did good work offensively, took the shots that came to him, and he was in rhythm, he made them. »
As the NBA trade deadline approaches, Sochan admitted trying to avoid thinking about a potential future away from San Antonio. « When I think about my whole life, I’ve moved everywhere. I left home at 15, and this is the first time I’ve been somewhere for more than a year since. This is my home. I feel like I’ve shed a lot of blood and sweat here for this city, » he confided, highlighting his attachment to the Spurs despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.
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