Victor Wembanyama to miss rest of NBA regular season with blood clot

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the rest of the National Basketball Association (NBA) season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder, the team said on Feb 20.

The Spurs said in a statement that the 21-year-old French player was diagnosed with the blood clot after he returned to San Antonio following last weekend’s All-Star game in San Francisco.

“Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season,” they said. “The team will provide updates as appropriate.”

The announcement brings a premature end to another outstanding campaign by Wembanyama, who earned Rookie of the Year honours last season, after being taken first overall in the NBA draft.

“It’s tough,” San Antonio’s veteran point guard Chris Paul said of losing Wembanyama, who was averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-best 3.8 blocks in 46 games for the Spurs this season.

“Tough more than anything, I think for all of us, knowing how much he means to our team, but more so knowing how much he means to the game and how much he loves to play.”

Other NBA players have dealt with similar health concerns.

Chris Bosh, a two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, was ultimately forced to retire in his early 30s after repeatedly dealing with blood clots.

But the Detroit Pistons’ Ausar Thompson has returned to play 33 games this season after he was diagnosed with a blood clot in March 2024. Brandon Ingram, now with the Toronto Raptors, also recovered after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right arm in 2019.

Wembanyama will be hoping his condition is not too serious, but it is a big blow for a player who made an immediate impact on arriving in the league in 2023 and whose influence is only growing in his second season.

The 2.21m centre became an All-Star for the first time when he was chosen as a reserve.

Young Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards noted Wembanyama’s rise during All-Star weekend when he was asked if he considered himself a candidate for “next face of the league”.

“Not really,” said the 23-year-old. “That’s what they’ve got Wemby for.”

The Spurs have reportedly indicated they expect Wembanyama to make a full recovery.

While the team’s announcement did not rule out the possibility that he could be fit for the play-offs, the chances of San Antonio reaching the post-season without him look slim.

The Spurs are in 12th place in the Western Conference, two spots away from the final play-in berth, now held by the Golden State Warriors.

Even with the arrival of high-scoring guard De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings at the trade deadline, the Spurs will likely suffer without their centrepiece.

“Trust me, you can’t replace Vic,” Paul added.

“I can’t stand on a guy’s shoulders and block every shot that comes to the rim. Aside from his basketball ability, his charisma and what he brings into the locker room I think is what we’ll miss the most.”

But he also insisted that the Spurs will remain focused on making the post-season.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “That’s absolutely the plan.” AFP