Victor Wembanyama is out for the season owing to a blood clotting issue, but he appears to be on the right track.
On Friday, the San Antonio Spurs provided an important health report on their star center, Wembanyama. They stated that team physicians had cleared Wembanyama to fly (according to senior NBA writer Marc Stein). As a result, Wembanyama is presently with the club in Sacramento, where he will witness San Antonio teammate De’Aaron Fox’s first game against his previous Kings squad on Friday.
Michael C. Wright of ESPN also posted a photo of Wembanyama seated on the Spurs bench hours before the game.
Wembanyama, 21, was sidelined for the rest of the NBA season just over two weeks ago after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. Fans were instantly concerned about what the prognosis meant for Wembanyama’s career, especially given his 7-foot-3 stature. Some even brought up the case of 11-time NBA All-Star Chris Bosh, who never played another game after being diagnosed with blood clots in 2016.
However, the fact that Wembanyama has been approved to travel so soon after his diagnosis is an encouraging omen. Wembanyama’s problem is also in his shoulder, which distinguishes him from Bosh (who had a blood clot in his leg that spread to his lungs).
Wembanyama, the previous No. 1 overall choice, averaged 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and an NBA-leading 3.8 blocks per game in 46 games before being ruled out for the season. San Antonio is hoping that Wembanyama will be able to return without trouble in time for the start of the 2025-26 season, and his already receiving clearance to fly is another reason to be optimistic.
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