The team said Wembanyama has a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, which was discovered when he returned to San Antonio after Sunday’s All-Star game in San Francisco. A thrombosis is a form of a blood clot that blocks blood flow.
Speculation about Wembanyama’s status swirled when he did not show up for Thursday’s shootaround at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. He was listed as doubtful for Thursday’s game against the Phoenix Suns due to an illness.
The 21-year-old Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and a league-leading 3.8 blocks in 46 games this season for San Antonio.
The injury is a big blow for the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and first-time All-Star from France and the San Antonio Spurs.
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At the All-Star break, the Spurs are 23-29, 3.5 games out of the 10th playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Personally, for Wembanyama, he won’t be eligible for major postseason awards, such as Most Valuable Player, All-defense, or All-NBA, because he did reach the required 65 games played this season.