Spurs Make Victor Wembanyama Announcement on Tuesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Dec 16, 2025 7:22 PM ET

Victor Wembanyama will suit up for the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday for their highly anticipated showdown against the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup Final. The 7-foot-4 big man just returned from a lengthy injury absence and will play in just his second game back on Tuesday night. Wembanyama, the first overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, missed 12 straight games due to a calf injury.

In this light, the Spurs have made a decision on their cornerstone superstar ahead of the championship game against the Knicks. San Antonio head coach Mitch Johnson spoke to reporters before tip-off to make an announcement about Wembanyama.

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during practice prior to the Emirates NBA Cup championship.Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Wembanyama made his highly anticipated return to action on Saturday in the Spurs’ semifinal matchup against the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. San Antonio pulled off a massive upset against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Co., who lost for just the second time in 26 games played so far this season.

Wembanyama logged 21 minutes in his comeback, producing 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds, two assists, a steal, two blocks and one three-pointer. The Spurs have been easing their cornerstone superstar back after his extended injury absence, opting to have Wembanyama come off the bench against OKC.

This will be the case again for Wednesday's game against the Knicks. According to Johnson, Wembanyama will be coming off the bench for Tuesday’s contest, per senior NBA reporter Chris Haynes. Johnson also noted that the Spurs star will be under a minutes restriction similar to the 21 minutes he logged on Saturday against the Thunder.

Wembanyama has been limited to 13 games this season, averaging 25.8 points on 50.4% shooting, 12.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 3.5 blocks in 33.6 minutes per contest. He is also knocking down 1.6 triples per game on a 35.6% clip.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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