Blood Clot Diagnosis Sidelines San Antonio Spurs Star for Rest of Season
By Movieguide® Contributor
Victor Wembanyama, a San Antonio Spurs franchise player, will miss the remainder of the NBA season due to blood clots in his right shoulder.
“The San Antonio Spurs today announced that Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder,” the Spurs announced. “The condition was discovered when Wembanyama returned to San Antonio following the All-Star Game in San Francisco. Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season. The team will provide updates as appropriate.”
Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson informed the media that Wembanyama’s “long-term health won’t be affected by this setback,” ESPN reported.
“The medical experts and the people that are smarter than everybody in the room have said and confirm that he’ll be done this year and there is no concern for Victor’s long-term health, personally, or anything related to his basketball activities,” he explained. “There is no reason to believe he won’t be ready to go starting next season.”
Wembanyama underwent a battery of tests after he began to notice that “his arm didn’t feel completely normal.”
“This started by conversations around Monday,” Johnson said. “I don’t know exactly the time. It was our medical staff. They looked into it, and that’s how we got here.”
Several players commented on the news and expressed their shock and concern for their teammate.
“It’s tough,” Chris Paul, the team’s point guard, said. “It’s tough more than anything, I think for all of us, knowing how much he means to our team and but more so knowing how much he means to the game and how much he loves to play.”
“I think everybody understands that basketball is what we do and not who we are,” he added. “So, life and everything is so much more important, but for us, we know losing a big part of our team like that is [made up for] by committee. And trust me, you can’t replace Vic. I can’t stand on a guy’s shoulders and block every shot that comes to the rim. Aside from his basketball ability, his charisma and what he brings into the locker room I think is what we’ll miss the most.”
“He just wishes he could be with his teammates is what I would share,” Johnson said of Wembanyama. “I don’t want to speak on someone’s reaction for them. But I think as much as Victor wanted to be with his teammates, his teammates enjoyed and want to be with him. I know they, as we all feel Victor’s pride and passion playing for the Spurs and being a part of the NBA and loving just to play the game. So, it’s a minor setback for a major comeback.”
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