Victor Wembanyama’s promise of being the San Antonio organization’s star this season has been shut down by medical professionals.
Wembanyama, or Wemby, is a French basketball player who was drafted in the 2023 NBA draft as the first pick. He is the second European player to be drafted in the league. He was signed to the Spurs, and the association saw him as the next big star to build a championship dynasty around. Wemby was also the first rookie to end his season with at least 1,500 points, 250 assists and 250 blocked shots.
Wemby’s NBA career was on a meteoric rise since the beginning of his rookie season in October of 2023.
“When I found out the news I was pretty much in shock,” said Dully Floris, a 21-year-old Brookdale student and avid sports watcher, “Wemby was honestly so much fun to watch and was superhyped when he came into the league. Apparently this same kind of injury happened to Chris Bosh a couple years back and made him retire in his prime, so I know it’s serious. I’m praying the same doesn’t happen to Wemby.”
Wemby was defying all odds even at his whopping 7’3 stature. He averaged 24 points and 11 rebounds, nearly a double-double every game. As last year’s No. 1 draft pick, Wemby was set to lead a franchise that had been dormant in play-off and title contentions since the Kawhi Leonard era almost a decade ago.
The Spurs were all in for his success as they began to build a supporting cast around the future superstar. They acquired Chris Paul, an NBA legend around the association to mentor him on and off the court. They also made a move to pick up De’Aaron Fox, another star player who is currently averaging 21 points.
Wemby’s season came to a shocking end when news broke that the star had been diagnosed with “deep vein thrombosis” (a blood clot) in his right arm. An untreated blood clot could trigger a pulmonary embolism or even a stroke if not treated quickly.
Wemby was shut down this season as were his chances for any NBA awards. He was on track to win Defensive Player of the Year and now has become ineligible to receive any honors.
“I mean, I’m still going to be supporting the Spurs for the remainder of the season,” said Madelyn Barrett, a 20-year-old Brookdale student and basketball fan. “It just sucks because Wemby is only in his second year. I don’t want these injuries to pile up like they do with so many other players that had immense talent, like Joel Embid, Kawhi and all the others.”
Though Wemby will be out the rest of the season, the star’s potential is still unlimited, especially when he is due for a return next season. Fans are praying that it will culminate in a championship.
