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The San Antonio Spurs announced on Thursday that Victor Wembanyama has deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, forcing him off the roster for the rest of the season.
"The condition was discovered when Wembanyama returned to San Antonio following the All-Star Game in San Francisco," the team said in a statement. "Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season."
The team said it would provide more details when they become available.
Deep vein thrombosis is a condition where a blood clot forms in a deep vein.
Acting Head Coach Mitch Johnson said Wemby being out for the season is a tough loss for the team that is just a few games out of playoff contention.
"It changes things," Johnson said at a pre-game press conference Thursday evening."Someone of his magnitude that plays a role like him even more so."
Johnson said he does expect the 7 foot 3 center to be ready to play by the start of next season.
Wemby has been mentioned as a favorite for the Defensive Player of the Year award, He is leading the league in blocked shots at 3.8 per game while also posting 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, according to nba.com.
The 24-29 Spurs are fourth in the Southwest Division and 12th in the Western Conference.
They remain on a long road trip because the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo has set up for the month at the Spurs' usual home, the Frost Bank Center, for the rodeo and concerts.
There are 29 games left in the season. The team won't return to the center for a home game until March 2.
The Spurs defeated the Suns last night 120-109 Thursday at a special "home game" played in Austin.
