Nearly a year after a deep-vein blood clot in his right shoulder shut him down, Victor Wembanyama is back in the spotlight and carrying a serious load for the San Antonio Spurs. The 22-year-old has started 16 straight games this season, logging nearly 30 minutes a night as San Antonio chases the Western Conference's top seed. He did miss time earlier with calf and knee issues, but the franchise maintains he is healthy and is keeping him under close watch heading into the stretch run.
Team doctors first revealed the clot in February 2025, abruptly ending what had been a breakout sophomore campaign and sparking questions about his long-term future. According to the San Antonio Express-News, coach Mitch Johnson said after the All-Star break that Wembanyama "looks strong and in shape" and emphasized that his minutes and medical check-ins are a constant conversation between the player, his camp and the club. The San Antonio Express-News also reported that the organization expected him to be ready for the next season as part of a careful, medically guided recovery plan.
Cleared After Surgery And Rehab
Wembanyama told French daily L'Équipe that he had been cleared to return last July, a milestone that quickly made its way across the Atlantic. NBC Sports relayed his L'Équipe comments, quoting him as saying, "I'm officially cleared to return." Coverage at the time noted that he underwent a procedure in March as part of his recovery. Those accounts indicated the clot was treated as an isolated issue and that Spurs medical staff cleared him for full basketball activities ahead of the 2025-26 season.
On-Court Form And Tiny Blemishes
Since his return, Wembanyama has missed 14 games this season because of calf and knee problems, but he has also put together that 16-game starting streak and hovered around 30 minutes a night, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The clot originally forced the Spurs to shut him down for the remainder of the 2024-25 season, capping him at 46 games, as first reported by ESPN. Even now, team staff are trying to keep him on the floor as much as possible while steering clear of any unnecessary risk to his long-term health.
What This Means For The Spurs' Playoff Push
At 38-16, the Spurs are firmly in the race for the West’s top seed and jockeying with Oklahoma City for position, a charge that has the locker room buzzing. ClutchPoints captured De'Aaron Fox's assessment that "every game counts a little bit more" as the team heads into the second half. San Antonio opens its Austin swing tonight at Moody Center, a game already circled on local guides and schedule boards.
Outlook And Cautions
Medical and roster analysts note that teams typically take a cautious route after a deep-vein thrombosis scare, trying to balance short-term gains with long-term availability. Reporting on workload management and injury risk highlights why the Spurs have kept minutes and micro rests built into the plan for Wembanyama, according to analysis from Athlon Sports. For now, the hope in San Antonio is simple: keep him healthy, keep him on the court, and let the scoreboard tell the rest of the story.
