Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Sidelined for the NBA Season | Everything You Should Know

The San Antonio Spurs made a splash ahead of the NBA trade deadline when they acquired De’Aaron Fox to pair alongside Victor Wembanyama. Between the team’s young roster and the new addition of the star guard alongside their All-Star, San Antonio seemed poised to make a run at the playoffs. However, following Thursday’s breaking news about Wembanyama being shut down for the season, their postseason aspirations will likely be put on hold.

Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news that the Spurs star would be expected to miss the remainder of the season following the diagnosis of a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. For those who may not know what this medical term means, the French product is dealing with a form of a blood clot that the team believes is an isolated condition.

Wembanyama’s 2024-25 stat line will conclude at 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.8 blocks per game. The seven-foot-three playmaker participated in multiple All-Star festivities over the weekend, which included suiting up for Team Chuck in the All-Star Game. The former top pick showed no issues in the two games he played over the weekend, totaling 17 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

However, according to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, Wembanyama had recently experienced low energy, which was causing concern. After a two-day vacation, the team ran a test because the center reported being drained even on his off days.

Although this medical concern could be considered dangerous if untreated, Wembanyama is expected to make a full recovery. The team is shutting him down for the season in large part to prioritize his health for the future.

Is Victor Wembanyama’s Injury Common?

Multiple types of blood clots include venous thrombosis, arterial thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. According to certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, Wembanyama is dealing with an arterial thrombosis, which is “a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a clot that develops in one of the major veins in the body, usually in the lower extremity."

Wembanyama is not the only player to deal with this injury. In fact, Toronto Raptors’ forward Brandon Ingram dealt with the same issue in his shoulder during the 2018-19 season, which caused him to miss the final 19 games of the regular season.

In addition to Wembanyama and Ingram, blood clots have been found in multiple other NBA players. Although not the same types, Ausar Thompson, Christian Koloko, and Chris Bosh are names that come to mind who have dealt with similar medical concerns.

Bosh medically retired due to a blood clot in his lungs, which he dealt with on numerous occasions. The talented big man was forced to hang it up due to this reoccurring issue that hospitalized him and at one point, due to a pulmonary embolism (the most dangerous of the blood clots) blocking the artery in his lung.

However, both Thompson and Koloko have returned to play. While their medical injuries weren’t as publicized as Wembanyama’s, the expectation is that he, too, will return to the court in the future.

Wembanyama’s recovery time will depend on his body’s reaction to blood thinners, but it will likely be two to three months.