Spurs’ cruel reality hits harder after revisiting what Wembanyama said before injury

Hours before Victor Wembanyama left the San Antonio Spurs' Game 2 against the Trail Blazers, he spoke to the media pregame for the first time. The topic of conversation was, of course, about his unanimous Defensive Player of the Year award. A media member asked if it felt rewarding to see all of the things Wemby planned come true, to which the 22-year-old said:

"Definitely not all of them, but some of them, for sure. It feels good, but I want to keep it that way. I don't want to stop at that... There's always more."

This season has been Wemby's best in the league, but it's only his third, and it's not over yet. He wants to win a title, and San Antonio is on the right path, although Tuesday night might've changed things.

Wembanyama's concussion is a tough blow for him and Spurs

Fans watched in horror as Wembanyama banged his head twice on the floor, and although he managed to get up and jog off the court to the locker room, he was diagnosed with a concussion. Per the NBA's protocol, he will be unable to participate in any activities for 48 hours, so there is still a chance that he could be back in the lineup for Game 3 on Friday.

The safer bet is to bank on Wemby missing around 7 to 10 days, the standard for NBA players who suffer concussions. It doesn't matter that it's the playoffs — his health and well-being are what's most important, just like last season, when a blood clot forced him to miss the last couple of months.

He missed time earlier this season after hyperextending his knee, and played through bruised ribs at the end of the regular season to reach the 65-game mark for award eligibility. No player is fully healthy at this time of the year, but there was no injury bogging Wembanyama down.

Vibes were high as he led the Spurs to their first playoff berth in six years, and they cruised to a 111-98 Game 1 win. Portland was no match for San Antonio, but without Wemby in Game 2, the Trail Blazers clawed their way back in to get the 106-103 win. You can assume that wouldn't have happened without the 7-foot-4 do-it-all star.

The season isn't over, not at all, but Wemby missing any time in the playoffs is especially unfair after what he dealt with last year, and the position he had San Antonio in. If he does miss Game 3 (and possibly even more time than that), the Spurs will need to find a way to hold it down as they have before without him.

As Wemby said, there's still more to be done. Let's hope he can return and contribute to that this season.

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