SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama addressed the media Sunday for the first time since February, when he was ruled out for the season due to deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.
He declined to delve into specifics regarding his recovery, though, saying, “I’m not going to expand on my medical record.”
Wembanyama did say “I’m over this problem,” adding he’s already started light weightlifting and on-court work in a controlled setting. Wembanyama still isn’t yet cleared for contact. Asked whether his condition stemmed from a structural issue, Wembanyama said, “I know whether it was or not” but the former NBA Rookie of the Year didn’t elaborate.
Wembanyama also refused to reveal whether he underwent surgery as part of his treatment.
“There’s many more things than surgery when you go to the hospital for a blood clot,” Wembanyama said. “We’re taking our time and I’m neither late or early [in recovery], but it’s a process and there are definitely steps for me to reach. At the time, I definitely didn’t know [the extent of the condition]. But looking back I did feel a certain way. I wasn’t in the best shape ever at the All-Star Game. By no means was it easy to learn and process.
“I think I did and I’m still doing the best the best we can do, taking care of my body and trusting the incredible work of the medical staff. I’m sure it’s something I’m going to use to grow and be better.”
When San Antonio announced Wembanyama would be out for the remainder of the season after All-Star break, the team expressed optimism about the second-year players’ long-term health.
“Everything we’ve said [about Wembanyama’s recovery] has been consistent,” Spurs acting coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’ll be ready to go by camp next year. Things are going well. I know it’s not hot news, but it’s good news.”
Wembanyama first started feeling discomfort in his right shoulder on a trip after All-Star weekend, according to league sources, prompting the organization to run the 21-year old through a battery of tests that revealed his condition.
Wembanyama sat out the last 36 games of San Antonio’s season and leaned on “perspective” to help him overcome the anguish of not being on the court with his teammates to close the season.
“All the attention I got from the incredible people here [who are] incredible at their jobs, from my visits to the hospital and such, I think I got as good of care as you can get as a patient,” Wembanyama said. “Looking back, I’m really lucky. This happened. But all of us, we deal with what we get. I’m still in the 1% luckiest people. I’ve got nothing to complain about.”
Despite Wembanyama missing nearly 44% of the season, he’ll still finish 2024-25 as the NBA’s leader in blocked shots (176) but will be ineligible for consideration for NBA Defensive Player of the Year because he didn’t play in the league-minimum 65 games.
That won’t stop Wembanyama from rooting for teammate Stephon Castle to become the second-straight Spur to win NBA Rookie of the Year.
“You get one chance to win it,” Wembanyama said. “After that it’s over. It’s a big milestone and I’m proud of Steph for what he’s done in his adaptation in the league and his growth. I’m proud of my teammates for also giving him the chance to do that.”
Castle called Wembanyama’s injury “tough” and expressed excitement about the possibility of a new Big Three in San Antonio in the future that features them alongside new addition De’Aaron Fox, who joined the Spurs in February through a trade.
“That’s definitely a great feeling to even be in that kind of conversation with all the history that’s already in San Antonio,” Castle told ESPN. “That just speaks very highly of my two teammates and very highly of me. We didn’t want it to be like this this season. I don’t know when it’s going to come, but the goal is for us to eventually win here.”
Fox underwent season-ending surgery in March to repair tendon damage in his left pinkie but expects to be cleared in another two weeks for basketball activity. Fox and Wembanyama played a total of five games this season together.
“We want to be the best pick and roll combo in the league,” Fox said. “We have two guys who are extremely dynamic and can pick and choose our spots whenever we want. If you’re able to really put together that type of combination, I feel like it is going to be a hard thing to stop. I’m definitely excited [for the future]. These guys are young, but I feel like, and the organization feels like guys are ready to win. If you can open that window for as long as you possibly can, that’s always the goal.”
But uncertainty remains regarding what coach will be tasked with guiding San Antonio’s next evolution.
Hall of Fame coach Gregg Popovich suffered a mild stroke just six games into 2024-25, which forced him to miss the remaining 76 contests. Popovich has announced intentions to return next season, but it’s unclear whether he’ll be cleared medically to do so.
That leaves the Spurs in limbo headed into the summer, but Wembanyama remains unfazed about the direction of the franchise.
“Looking back, a lot happened,” Wembanyama said. “Unexpected of course. Of course [there’s excitement for next season], and I’m not going to expand on that too much because [more] remains to do for me. But I’m hungry and I will be ready. I trust the organization. I trust Pop to [do] all he can to come back and get his energy back. I also trust Mitch [Johnson] to grow into that role. So, I think we are in good hands supporting each other all throughout the organization. So, I don’t know. I’m ready for anything.”
Source: espn.com