Sports doctor fully assesses Wembanyama blood clot: cause, treatment, recovery, more

The San Antonio Spurs gave fans the devastating news that Victor Wembanyama would miss the remainder of the season with a blood clot in his right shoulder. The injury likely ruined the team’s postseason chances. It also prevents Wemby from winning Defensive Player of the Year because he did not play 65 games this season. Fans received another gut punch during a difficult season.

Many supporters were left with more questions than answers. What is deep vein thrombosis? Is Wemby going to recover? Could the Spurs’ superstar face a premature end to his career like Chris Bosh? What is next for the franchise?

Doctor Brian Sutterer took to his popular YouTube channel to help fans sort out the medical side of Wemby's injury. Here is an in-depth look at the answers he provided.

What caused Victor Wembanyama’s blood clot?

Sutterer explains in the video that the 21-year-old superstar is dealing with Paget–Schroetter disease. That is a blood clot in the shoulder that often happens in athletes who are doing frequent and repetitive overhead activity. He notes the motion forces the vein to retract in a narrow space anatomically causing the blood to clot.

Finding this blood clot can be challenging, and the doctor credits the Spurs medical staff for diagnosing it quickly.

What is the treatment?

Wemby will be put on blood thinners to break up the clot. Sutterer notes that those are often administered for three to six months, and the 7’4 big man cannot play basketball during that time because of the risk of other injuries from the medication.

Surgery is possible to address the problem that causes these blood clots. This is often a definitive fix and can be done in multiple different ways to decompress the space. Listen to Sutterer's full breakdown of the injury below.

When will Victor Wembanyama be back on the floor?

Brandon Ingram had a similar injury in 2019. He missed the final 19 regular season games after a March diagnosis but was healthy to start the following season. The 2019-2020 campaign was BI’s lone All-Star season, and the Spurs are optimistic Wemby will be back without any lingering issues.

Acting head coach Mitch Johnson made it clear that the Spurs believe their superstar will be back and better than ever to start the 2025-26 season.

Fans should stay tuned for more updates as they become available. The San Antonio Spurs caught this quickly and will get Victor Wembanyama the best care possible. All sides want this to be an isolated incident like it was for Ingram. That is the best-case scenario for everyone involved.

Doctor Brian Sutterer was optimistic about Wemby’s return next season, and supporters should be too. It is a disappointing end to his first All-Star campaign, but the best is still yet to come. Fans certainly won’t want to miss it, so stay tuned.