Superstar Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the season with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, the San Antonio Spurs announced Thursday.
The blood clot was discovered when Wembanyama returned from the All-Star Game, the team said in a statement.
The organization is optimistic that the 21-year-old phenom can return for the beginning of of the 2025-26 season, according to ESPN.
Wembanyama, last year’s unanimous Rookie of the Year winner, was averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-leading 3.8 blocks in 46 games for the rebuilding Spurs. His 46 games comes short of the 65-game minimum required to be eligible for end-of-season awards. The 7-3 unicorn was considered the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year. He finished second behind fellow Frenchman Rudy Gobert for the award last season.
His numbers would have made him worthy for consideration on one of the All-NBA teams this season.
Wembanyama’s rise helped the Spurs (23-69) eclipse last season’s win total (22) by the All-Star break. The additions of veterans Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes also aided with the rebuilding process. And in a move to pair Wembanyama with a star guard for the future, the Spurs acquired ex-Kings star De’Aaron Fox before the trade deadline.
“The team will provide updates as appropriate,” the Spurs wrote in the statement.