The young All-Star was having a strong season before being shut down for the year by injury.
Just when basketball fans were getting spoiled by nightly doses of alien activity, the cosmos had other plans. The San Antonio Spurs announced that Victor Wembanyama, the NBA’s most captivating sophomore, will miss the remainder of the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
For anyone who’s been watching this 7’4” marvel operate, this news hits like a Wemby chase-down block – swift and devastating. The French phenom had been painting masterpieces on NBA hardwood, averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.8 blocks per game. His combination of defensive dominance and offensive grace made him look less like a rookie and more like a basketball algorithm created in a lab.
Breaking: Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the season with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, the Spurs announced. pic.twitter.com/WnvCRd04qd
— ESPN (@espn) February 20, 2025
The Spurs say Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the season with a blood clot. pic.twitter.com/zXtyBv9E7G
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) February 20, 2025
Remember when folks wondered if Wemby could handle the NBA’s physicality? He responded by turning the paint into his personal art gallery, where opposing shots went to die and gravity seemed more like a suggestion than a law. That 8-game stretch where he dropped 31 points per game on 54% shooting wasn’t just rookie excellence – it was basketball poetry.
For the tanking truthers out there, sure, this injury might help the Spurs secure better lottery odds. But let’s be real – we’re all losers in this scenario. Watching Wembanyama develop has been like witnessing basketball evolution in real-time. One minute he’s Euro-stepping through traffic like a guard, the next he’s swatting shots into the fifth row while barely leaving his feet.
The silver lining? This is just a pause in what promises to be a legendary career. At 21, Wembanyama has already cracked the top 10 in The Ringer’s player rankings, making veterans look like they’re playing a different sport entirely. When he returns next season, he’ll still be younger than most rookies, with a ceiling so high it needs FAA clearance.
For now, though, we’re left with highlight reels and “what-if” conversations about his sophomore campaign. The basketball gods might be cruel, but they’ve given us a glimpse of the future. And that future, when healthy, looks like it’ll be worth the wait.
Just don’t tell Spurs fans that while they’re crying into their Wemby jerseys.