Shock in the NBA after San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder. He likely won't play any more this season. His team is optimistic that he will make a full recovery by next season, but some NBA players, like Chris Bosh, had to retire early due to thrombosis, as the clots travelled through the blood vessels to his lungs. Most players, however, were able to recover after months of treatment or surgery.
'Wemby' is one of NBA most loved players: a tremendous pivot and already considered one of the best of the league at just 21. He averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 46 games this season and, the tallest active player in the league, also had made the most blocks, 176, 3.6 blocks per game. He was also the fourth preferred Western Conference frontcourt players in the NBA All-Star votes, behind Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. Sadly, because he will miss the remaining 30 games of the league and won't make the 65 games required matches, he will not be eligible for awards like All-NBA or Defensive Player of the Year.
He is also tremendously popular within San Antonio Spurs fans as well as France, where he helped win a Silver medal in Paris 2024, and when he was received as a hero when he and the Spurs played two regular season NBA games.
Without Wembanyama, it is unlikely the Spurs will improve from their 12th place in the league and qualify for the play-off, with a balance of 24/29. Messages of support, as well as genuine shock, were shared the past hours by NBA players and coaches, teammates and rivals alike, wishing for the wellbeing of one of NBA's brightest stars.