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What Happened to Victor Wembanyama

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Lance Roberson | Last updated Feb 20, 2025 1:37 PM ET

After an improved start to the 2024-25 season, the rest of the San Antonio Spurs campaign will have to cover significant ground without their best players. Only four days after competing during NBA All-Star weekend, Spurs Victor Wembanyama must hang up his jersey for the duration of the season. The Spurs revealed brutal injury news for Wembanyama.

The Spurs announced Wembanyama will miss the rest of the 2024-25 campaign due to a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

Wembanyama played 46 of 52 possible games this season. Despite being placed out of the NBA Play-In Tournament window as the 12th team in the Western Conference, Wembanyama gave the Spurs a much-improved team performance from the previous season.

However, without Wembanyama, the 23-29 Spurs will suffer without their superstar, who is also the best defensive player in the team and likely the league.

More vital to the Spurs' future than a Defensive Player of the Year award, though, is when Wembanyama will return.

Wembanyama's injury isn't as easy as healing a broken bone or a torn ligament. It's more complicated and possibly more dangerous.

Jeff Stotts, the owner of In Street Clothes, commented on Wembanyama's injury, providing insight to another player who suffered such an injury.

"A deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a clot that develops in one of the major veins of the body, usually in the lower extremity,' Stotts posted on X (formerly known as Twitter). Brandon Ingram also developed a DVT in his shoulder, missing the final 19 games of the 2018-19 season."

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that "Spurs are optimistic that Wembanayama will make a full recovery by the start of the 2025-26 season.

Although such reports seem optimistic, blood clot issues should be treated cautiously. Everything else will be mere speculation until the Spurs and Wembanyama receive more information. Follow Inside the Spurs for further developments on Wembanyama's ailment.

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

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