Victor Wembanyama’s season took an unfortunate turn this past Wednesday. The NBA superstar will now be watching the rest of the season from the sidelines after news broke that the Spurs medical staff had diagnosed a blood clot in his shoulder, known as deep vein thrombosis. The timing for this diagnosis is bad for the Spurs.
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The squad is 24-29 and hovering around a play-in spot, but Wemby’s absence will most likely end any chance of that. However. the injury has been more devastating for Wemby than it has been for fans.
If Wemby had it his way he would play through the injury. His fierce competitiveness is well-established in the league, so it’s difficult to imagine him being shut down in the middle of an eventful season. Spurs legend Sean Elliot also believes that the 7’3″ Frenchman would still be on the roster if he could — he stated as much during a recent episode of the Run It Back program.
Elliot, who won a title with the Spurs in 1999, declared that Wemby is “really disappointed” in how things turned out. The 57-year-old admitted that he tries to not get too close to players since he’s now an analyst, but Wemby is an exception. He added that Wemby pushes himself to the limit every game and he’s even seen the 21-year-old play with sickness in the past.
“I know he’s got to be really disappointed because he’s a competitor. He wants to get out their and play no matter what. I know this because I’ve seen him play hurt. I’ve seen him play sick,” a somber Elliot stated.
“Knowing Victor Wembanyama, I know he’s gotta be really disappointed. He’s a competitor. He wants to play no matter what. I know this because I’ve seen him play injured, I’ve seen him play sick.”
– Spurs analyst @seanelliott_32@MichelleDBeadle | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/35Qn7R4ws1
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 21, 2025
However, the Spurs believe it’s best to preserve their superstar talent for next season. They might have a title shot next year with De’Aaron Fox in the mix. But there’s not doubt that Wemby would find it tough to stay the remainder of the season off the court.
With Victor Wembanyama injured odds have shifted as to who will win DPOY
Wemby was having a heck of a season on the defensive end. In 46 games, he was averaging 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.8 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. He was surely a lock for the Defensive Player of the Year award, another impressive accolade after winning Rookie of the Year a season ago. Unfortunately, that’s now off the table due to the season-ending injury.
Oddsmakers have since placed Jaren Jackson Jr. and Evan Mobley as the new DPOY candidates. While their numbers are decent, it’s safe to say Wemby’s were better.
Here’s to hoping that the injury doesn’t delay his exciting career any more than it already has.
