Last season, Victor Wembanyama was off to a historic pace. The superstar was racking up block numbers at an unbelievable rate, was in line for his first of many Defensive Player of the Year awards, and tallied numerous dominant offensive games. As a reward, the big man was gifted his first All-Star appearance. But that was when everything came crashing down.
Following an exciting All-Star debut for Wembanyama, it was announced that he was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) blood clot in his right shoulder. This unfortunate revelation marked the end of his 2024-25 campaign. Many feared that the diagnosis would threaten his career. They would be partially correct. That is precisely why we are patiently waiting for this important update.
Victor Wembanyama may soon announce if he received surgery
In the wake of his diagnosis, a valuable question needs to be answered. As Brian Windhorst alluded to on the Hoop Collective podcast, Wembanyama could have either undergone surgery for his blood clot or, in the worst-case scenario, the blood clot could be systemic, which could threaten his career.
Taking the surgery route would have completely removed the issue from the big man's body, thus giving the Spurs and their fans a massive sigh of relief. If this is the case, Wembanyama would be good to go without the fear of this unlucky problem resurfacing.
As we currently stand, we have no idea what went down. Despite Wembanyama being cleared for all basketball activities, that doesn't reveal which route he took. Although it is unclear whether we will learn anything about what happened, our best bet for the information to be revealed is at the Spurs media day, which begins on September 29th.
The Spurs need Victor Wembanyama to be full healthy
While this news may seem minor, it is actually a huge deal. Wembanyama is the lifeblood of the Spurs franchise. Without him, everything that we hope the Spurs can accomplish in the next decade would be tarnished. This also affects Wembanyama personally; he would be absolutely devastated to miss any more time away from the game he loves.
Loading for an MVP-caliber season, Wembanyama is prepared to conquer the NBA. But to do so, he will need to remain healthy. The 65-game rule for awards is in place, so even if the defensive juggernaut is dominating like usual, his near-guaranteed Defensive Player of the Year award would be gone if he missed any significant time.
We can only hope that Wembanyama is okay. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for any news when media day rolls around next month. Wembanyama's career and the Spurs' hopes and dreams hang in the balance.