San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has admitted he endured a “total breakdown” after his deep vein thrombosis diagnosis left him sidelined earlier this year
Victor Wembanyama recently sat down with ESPN to talk about his blood clot diagnosis(Image: ESPN)
Victor Wembanyama made his return from injury on Saturday night as the San Antonio Spurs inflicted just the second defeat of the season upon the Oklahoma City Thunder to reach the NBA Cup final.
The Spurs star, who had missed San Antonio’s last 12 games due to a calf injury, scored 22 points against Oklahoma, helping his side to a 111-109 win over the defending NBA champions. It comes just days after Caitlin Clark branded Steph Curry “AI” following his return from injury for the Golden State Warriors.
Wembanyama’s impact on the floor was clear for all to see, emphasizing just how important he is to a Spurs team that now sits 18-7 on the year following their NBA Cup win against the Thunder. However, earlier this year, the Frenchman thought – briefly – he would not be able to play basketball again after it was revealed he was suffering from a blood clot back in February.
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The 21-year-old was diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, an injury which prompted San Antonio to shut him down for the remainder of the 2024-25 season to allow for him to recover.
Ahead of his return to the court for San Antonio, Wembanyama sat down with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, where the pair discussed how the blood clot scare left him wondering if he might not be able to play basketball again.
“I remember clearly, it’s going to be one year soon since I learned,” Wembanyama pensively told Andrews of how he reacted to the diagnosis.
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“It was five minutes of total breakdown, probably. Obviously, crying and sadness and feeling the fragility of life and health.”
He continued: “I was thinking about this as… Like I just said, I wasn’t thinking about basketball. Basketball wasn’t my priority all of a sudden. And at a time like this where you have to take measures quickly, you unfortunately have to make choices.
Wembanyama returned to action on Saturday to help San Antonio beat the Oklahoma City Thunder(Image: Getty Images)
“There’s this worry of maybe not doing the right thing.”
Andrews then asked the Spurs star: “Were you ever worried that you would not be able to play again in those five minutes?”
“Yes, but it wasn’t justified,” replied Wembanyama.
The Spurs star scored 22 points on his return(Image: Getty Images)
“I needed time to find myself again and then to get better. It was just the whole motor all summer, and I think it’s going to be for the rest of my career.
“It’s the best example that life is short, career is short. It can end just like this. So there’s no time to waste.”