Spurs All-Star Wembanyama to Miss Rest of Season

Source: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs stands on the court in the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on November 06, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)

San Antonio Spurs All-Star center Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the 2024-25 NBA season, the team announced Thursday. It’s reported that the young superstar is suffering from deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

According to the Spurs, the condition was discovered after Wembanyama returned from the NBA All-Star break, for which he played in his first All-Star game. Wembanyama and the Spurs were set to play a pair of home games in Austin, TX. The thrombosis is a kind of blood clot, for which the team believes “is an isolated issue” for their young star.

This means Wembanyama will also miss the game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Houston.

Due to this, Wembanyama will become ineligible for any regular season awards because of the NBA’s 65-game minimum requirement. The center was a favorite for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

The reigning Rookie of the Year concludes his sophomore campaign with an impressive stat line of 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 3.8 blocks over 46 games. Wembanyama also shot 47.6% from the field and an improved 35.2% from behind the arc.

NBA’s History of Blood Clots

Blood clots aren’t uncommon when it comes to afflicting NBA players. The Detroit Pistons’ forward Ausar Thompson dealt with a blood clot ahead of training camp prior to the start of this season. The Toronto Raptors’ forward Brandon Ingram missed the rest of the 2018-19 season in March 2019 after being diagnosed with a similar condition to Wembanyama, while a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Former NBA power forward Mirza Teletović missed the rest of the 2014-15 season due to a blood clot-related issue. Former Miami Heat center Chris Bosh’s final two NBA seasons were impacted by blood clots in his lungs, forcing him into an early retirement in 2017.