San Antonio Spurs standout Victor Wembanyama has fully recovered and is aiming to return to play next season following a battle with deep shoulder venous thrombosis over recent months, he revealed in an interview with French newspaper L’Equipe on Monday. “I’m officially back… I’ll finally be able to play some basketball again,” Wembanyama told French sports media.
The Spurs have not yet commented on the update. The team had anticipated Wembanyama would start this season, but no official announcements have been made. Wembanyama earned the league’s Rookie of the Year title two years ago, and this past season Spurs’ guard Stephon Castle also won the award. Wembanyama was a top candidate for Defensive Player of the Year last season before being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder in February.
Before his hiatus, Wembanyama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks, and 3.7 assists per game. Notably, he’s the only NBA player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76 to post such stats in a season. Recently, Wembanyama has traveled extensively and spent time at the Shaolin Temple in Zhengzhou, China, a place known for teaching chan meditation, Xiaolin kung fu, traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and more.
Report by Associated Press.
Fan Take: Victor Wembanyama’s return is huge news for basketball fans everywhere as his unique skill set and dominance have the potential to reshape the NBA landscape. Seeing him overcome such a serious health challenge and come back stronger is inspiring, highlighting the resilience and passion that makes the sport so captivating.
