What is Victor Wembanyama’s injury and what does it mean for his future?

The San Antonio Spurs announced Thursday that star center Victor Wembanyama will be out for the remainder of the season with deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Wemby has captivated the NBA in his less than two years in the league. The 7-foot-3 Frenchman was widely regarded as the best basketball prospect in history, and he has met all expectations thus far.

This latest news will put Wembanyama’s promising young career on hold. Many fans were shocked to hear of the injury, given that he had participated at numerous events during NBA All-Star Weekend just days before.

However, deep vein thrombosis is a serious condition, and the Spurs will operate with an abundance of caution before allowing their young star to return to the court.

At the moment, questions are swirling around the NBA about the potential impact it could have on Wembanyama in the short and long term. What exactly is DVT? How long does it take to recover? What is the risk of recurrence? Is there any precedent for a player with this injury in the NBA?

Here’s everything that is known so far about the condition that will keep the future face of the league off the hardwood for the immediate future.

What is deep vein thrombosis?

DVT is when a blood clot forms in a deep vein in either the lower leg, thigh, hip or arm. It can cause some pain and inflammation, but often the condition is asymptomatic.

The risk of DVT is that the blood clot breaks off and travels through the bloodstream, eventually reaching the lungs and causing a pulmonary embolism (PE), which is when a clot blocks an artery. A PE can be fatal, which is why DVT is treated with extreme caution.

How was Wembanyama’s injury discovered?

Wembanyama was diagnosed with DVT upon returning to San Antonio from San Francisco, where he played in the NBA All-Star Game, per the Spurs. The reasons that led him to seek the diagnosis have not been made known.

DVT recovery and prior cases in sports

To estimate how long Wembanyama’s recovery from this blood clot will be, there is plenty of precedent in the NBA and the sporting world in general.

Perhaps the most harrowing case in recent memory was that of Miami Heat center Chris Bosh, who had his career cut short at the age of 32 in 2016 because numerous blood clots were found in his lungs. He sought various medical opinions but was ultimately forced to retire due to safety concerns.

Just last year, Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson was found to have blood clots in March of his rookie season. He was ultimately cleared to play and returned to action in November of the 2024-25 season, missing his team’s first 18 games.

Perhaps the most similar case to Victor Wembanyama is that of Brandon Ingram in 2019. Ingram then played for the Los Angeles Lakers and had to miss the final 17 games of the regular season due to deep vein thrombosis in his arm. Like Wemby, he was 21 years old at the time of the diagnosis. After undergoing surgery, he was able to return to start the next season, and the problem has not recurred since.

In 2013, Cleveland Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao developed blood clots and was forced to miss half of the season. He was put on blood thinners and returned the following year.

Cameroonian forward Christian Koloko, who now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, had to miss the entire 2023-24 season due to a blood clot condition. He was 23 years old.

Outside of basketball, women’s tennis legend Serena Williams is a notable athlete who suffered from blood clots. She was even found to have a pulmonary embolism in 2011 when she was 29 years old and sat out nearly a year. She did return, but so did the PE after she gave birth in 2017. Both times, Williams was able to recover and return to championship form.

Regarding recovery time, ESPN NBA reporter Brian Windhorst suggested that there is a rule of thumb: six months, saying "it doesn’t matter if you’re a civilian or an NBA player."

For the time being, Spurs fans will have to wish the best with their young star and maintain hope that the condition will not return, as it did not for many of his NBA peers. The Spurs currently sit at 12th place in the Western Conference at 24-29, three games out of the 10th seed.