Dangerous blood clot sidelines NBA star Victor Wembanyama for the season

One of the NBA’s most exciting rising stars will spend the rest of the 2024–2025 season on the bench.

Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ 7-foot-3-inch phenom, was sidelined after doctors discovered a dangerous blood clot in his right shoulder, the league announced Thursday.

The 21-year-old French standout, who earned Rookie of the Year honors last season, was diagnosed after his return from Sunday’s 2025 All-Star Game with deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

DVT is a dangerous condition in which a blood clot forms in a vein deep inside the body, usually in the legs but sometimes in arms or shoulders, as in Wembanyama’s case.

“The medical experts and the people that are smarter than everybody in the room … confirm that he’ll be done this year, and that there is no concern for Victor’s long-term health personally, or anything related to his basketball activities,” acting Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said, according to the Associated Press.

DVT can develop after injuries, surgery or long periods of inactivity such as a long car or plane trip, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

If left untreated, the clot can break loose and travel to the lungs, causing a life-threatening pulmonary embolism. Clots can also block blood flow to the brain or heart, increasing the risk of stroke or heart attack, experts warn.

“It’s devastating news, I think, because any time the league loses a player of that magnitude, it’s tough,” Johnson added. “You’re losing a main player of the league that the fans and people enjoy watching.”

While DVT is more common in people over 40, athletes like Wembanyama can also develop the condition, especially after severe muscle injuries, broken bones or surgeries.

Other risk factors include smoking, obesity or a family history of blood clots, as well as autoimmune conditions like lupus. Use of birth control pills or hormone therapy is also linked to increased risk.

“First of all, you pray for him. You hope for the best, personally and professionally,” Miami Heat forward Kevin Love said, according to the Associated Press. “He means so much to the league. He’s an incredible competitor and he has a runway to be the face of the league for the next 20 years. I can’t imagine this league without him in the short term or in the long term. He’s that important.”

Wembanyama, who is beginning treatment immediately, was on pace for a record-breaking 2024-2025 season.

By the All-Star break, he had already attempted 403 three-point shots and blocked 176 shots. No player in the NBA’s history has had numbers like that even after a full season, according to the Associated Press.

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