SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the season with a blood clot in his right shoulder, the team announced Thursday.
Officially diagnosed as a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, the clot was discovered after Wembanyama returned to San Antonio following the NBA All-Star Game. The condition is typically treated with blood-thinning medication.
“The condition was discovered when Wembanyama returned to San Antonio following the All-Star Game in San Francisco,” the Spurs said in a statement.
Wembanyama was noticeably winded over the last week and during the All-Star game. It was originally thought the 21-year-old was suffering from allergies after returning from France following the team’s recent overseas trip.
According to several reports, the Spurs are optimistic that Wembanyama will make a full recovery by the beginning of the 2025-26 season.
“First and foremost, everybody understands that basketball is what we do and not who we are. Life and everything is so much more important,” Spurs guard Chris Paul told reporters at Spurs shoot around Thursday. “But for us, we know losing a big part of our team, it’s by committee. Trust me, you can’t replace Vic. 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.”
Vein thrombosis is a blood clot in a deep vein that keeps blood from flowing normally, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Former New Orleans Pelicans forward had the same condition and returned the following season with no issues.
Chris Bosh retired due to a history of blood clots.
Wemby averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.6 blocks a game for San Antonio this season.
