Inside The Spurs

Unfortunate Consequences of Victor Wembanyama's Major Injury Revealed

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama's season-ending injury comes with

Matt Guzman

Feb 15, 2025; Oakland, CA, USA; Chuck’s Global Stars forward Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs warms up during the NBA All Star-Practice at Oracle Arena.
Feb 15, 2025; Oakland, CA, USA; Chuck’s Global Stars forward Victor Wembanyama (1) of the San Antonio Spurs warms up during the NBA All Star-Practice at Oracle Arena. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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AUSTIN, Texas — Despite what was shaping up to be a stellar sophomore campaign, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season.

Announced by the team Thursday, the 21-year-old was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, which will sideline him for an extended period of time and leave the Spurs with their backs to the wall.

"Trust me, you can't replace Vic," Chris Paul explained. "I can't stand on a guy's shoulders and block every shot that comes to the rim."

Additionally, Wembanyama's injury carries a few more implications beyond the Western Conference standings. Since he only played 46 games on the season, he'll be ineligible for end-of-season awards, including the league's Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and All-NBA recognition.

Enforced last season, a player must appear in at least 65 games or have played both 62 games and 85 percent of his team's contests before a season-ending injury occurred to be eligible.

Earning an All-NBA nod, especially, was a palpable "next step" for Wembanyama, who earned a handful of All-NBA votes following his rookie campaign. Now, it will likely serve as added motivation entering his third season as he heads to the recovery process.

And as his teammates will tell you, that doesn't translate to pressure.

"I don't think he feels any type of pressure," Devin Vassell said. "He just comes in, does his work and makes everybody else better. I have to give him credit where credit is due. At the end of the day, I know he has a lot of added pressure from other people, but he never shows it."

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Matt Guzman
MATT GUZMAN

Matt Guzman is a sports journalist and storyteller from Austin, Texas. He serves as a credentialed reporter and site manager for San Antonio Spurs On SI and a staff writer for multiple collegiate sites in the same network. In the world of professional sports, he is a firm believer that athletes are people, too, and intends to tell stories of players and teams’ true, behind-the-scenes character that otherwise would not be seen through strong narrative writing, hooking ledes and passionate words.

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