Blood Clot Sidelines San Antonio Star for the Remainder of the Regular Season
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will miss the rest of the NBA regular season due to a blood clot in his right shoulder.
According to a statement from the Texas-based franchise, the 21-year-old French giant developed the condition after returning to San Antonio following his participation in the All-Star Game last Sunday in San Francisco.
The Spurs announced: “Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-2025 regular season. The team will provide updates as new developments arise.”
“Wemby” has been outstanding this season, averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.8 blocks per game across 46 appearances. He won the Rookie of the Year award last season and earned his first All-Star selection this year as a reserve.
Standing at 2.21 meters, Wembanyama also helped France secure a silver medal in the basketball competition at the last Olympic Games in Paris after losing to the United States in the final. With his season now over, he will not have played enough games to qualify for any major end-of-season awards.
His absence is a major setback for the Spurs’ playoff ambitions, as they currently sit 12th in the Western Conference standings.
Spurs point guard Chris Paul commented on Wembanyama’s loss: “It’s really tough. I think it’s very difficult for all of us because we know how important he is to our team, but more importantly, we know how important he is to the game and how much he loves playing.”
Other NBA players have suffered similar health issues. Two-time NBA champion Chris Bosh was forced to retire at age 32 after repeated battles with blood clots.
However, Detroit Pistons’ Ausar Thompson returned to play 33 games this season after suffering a blood clot in March last year, while Toronto Raptors’ Brandon Ingram recovered from a similar issue in his right arm back in 2019.
Portis Suspended for Doping Violation
In another surprising development, Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. has been suspended for 25 games after violating the league’s anti-doping rules.
The NBA announced that Portis tested positive for Tramadol, a prescription painkiller. His agent, Mark Bartelstein, claimed the player ingested it by mistake, stating: “I’m deeply saddened for Bobby right now because he made an honest mistake, and the consequences have been incredibly severe.”
He added: “Bobby unknowingly took a painkiller called Tramadol, believing it was Toradol. Toradol is a pain reliever that he has used before and is commonly used by teams and players for pain and inflammation.”
Portis, who played a key role in the Bucks’ 2021 championship run, will now miss most of the team’s remaining 29 regular-season games. He is set to return on April 8, just four games before the end of the regular season.
His suspension is a major blow to the Bucks, who currently sit fifth in the Eastern Conference standings. The forward, who finished among the top three in Sixth Man of the Year voting in the past two seasons, has been averaging 13.7 points and 8.3 rebounds across 46 games this season.
Betway, the leading betting site in Lebanon, has been keeping fans engaged throughout the NBA season with the latest odds and insights. With Victor Wembanyama’s shocking season-ending injury and Bobby Portis’ suspension shaking up the league, Betway continues to be the go-to platform for fans looking to stay ahead of the game.
