Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs stands on the court during the NBA All Star-Practice.v / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
The NBA world received some shocking and disappointing news on Thursday afternoon—the San Antonio Spurs are shutting down superstar center Victor Wembanyama for the season.
Wembanyama is dealing with a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. As soon as the news broke, NBA fans were quick to wish Wembanyama well in his recovery while expressing how bummed they were that he’d be unable to take the court again this year.
While the injury felt like it came out of nowhere—Wembanyama just featured in the All-Star Game, including a headline-generating performance in the skills competition alongside teammate Chris Paul—it turns out that the Spurs had been monitoring Wemby’s energy levels for some time.
Per Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Spurs were concerned with Wembanyama’s “low energy,” and when it persisted through the All-Star break and the two-day vacation that followed, the team looked into it, which is when they discovered the deep vein thrombosis that is now costing him the season.
Per source, to @TheAthletic, Victor Wembanyama had experienced low energy lately that was causing concern.
When he still had low energy at All-Star weekend, and through his two-day vacation after it, the tests began that ultimately uncovered the deep vein thrombosis. The Spurs…
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) February 20, 2025
First, good work by the Spurs’ medical team to recognize that things weren’t 100% with their star player and identify the problem before it worsened.
Second, it’s good to know that the team has a hopeful timeline of Wemby being fully ready to go at the start of next season, even if it is a disappointing way to end a year that he was likely to be named Defensive Player of the Year.
The Spurs are in action for the first time since the All-Star break on Thursday night as they host the Phoenix Suns. It will serve as their first test of the upcoming stretch without their star big man.
