San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama probably feels like a new man.
Last season, the 7-foot-3 French phenom was limited to just 46 games due to a blood clot issue. He was dealing with a deep vein right thrombosis in his right shoulder.
It's now come out, via Wembanyama himself, that the former No. 1 overall pick has been cleared to start hooping again.
"I'm officially cleared to return," he told the French newspaper "L'Équipe", according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN. "It just happened. I got the green light from the Spurs' medical staff just [on Friday]. Phew, I'll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again."
This is a massive update for both Wembanyama and the Spurs as the young center gears up for his third NBA season.
He was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 2023-24 after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game as a 20-year-old.
His points per game went up to 24.3 in Year 2, but again, he was limited to just 46 games after playing in 71 as a rookie.
The Spurs have officially cleared Wemby to return to basketball activities, he said in a statement to L'Équipe
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 14, 2025
A deep vein right shoulder thrombosis limited him to just 46 games last season.
Full story: https://t.co/NPaRi1L41k pic.twitter.com/Ttw4kxGw2H
Wembanyama is extremely tall and lean, so questions about his ability to hold up to life playing in the NBA were really the only question mark about his game during the NBA Draft process.
Having him healthy heading into the 2025-26 season will be huge for the Spurs. San Antonio seems to be gearing up for a run as a young team with plenty of exciting players, and Wembanyama is absolutely the centerpiece.
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