San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the NBA season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder, the team announced on Thursday.
The Spurs revealed in a statement that the 21-year-old French sensation was diagnosed with a blood clot after returning to San Antonio following last Sunday’s All-Star Game in San Francisco.
“Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024/25 regular season,” the Spurs said. “The team will provide updates as appropriate.”
The announcement prematurely ends another stellar campaign for Wembanyama, who won Rookie of the Year honours last season after being selected first in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The 7-foot-3 (2.21m) phenom averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and a league-best 3.8 blocks in 46 games for the Spurs this season. His dominant performances earned him a spot as an NBA All-Star for the first time, where he was chosen as a reserve.
During the mid-season exhibition, Wembanyama stood out for Charles Barkley’s Team Global, who fell to Stephen Curry’s Team USA in the All-Star Final.
Curry, who won All-Star MVP, praised Wembanyama’s commitment to the game.
“He took the NBA All-Star Game seriously,” Curry said. “He was showcasing his unique skill set all across the board.”
His injury also means he won’t play enough games to qualify for any major end-of-season awards. However, Wembanyama could return in time to represent France at EuroBasket 2025, which will be held from August 27 to September 14 in Latvia, Cyprus, Finland, and Poland.
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