Victor Wembanyama set to miss rest of NBA season over blood clot fears

Victor Wembanyama’s season looks to have ended after the San Antonio Spurs announced he is dealing with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

The Spurs said Wembanyama had been diagnosed when he returned from last week’s All-Star Game in San Francisco. DVT occurs when blood clots form in veins; the condition can be fatal if untreated. The Spurs said they expect the 21-year-old to miss the rest of the season.

The Frenchman was arguably the most hyped rookie since LeBron James when he entered the NBA last season, due to his ability to blend his 7ft 3in height and huge wingspan with the handling skills of a much smaller player. He was named an All-Star for the first time this season and was a favourite for defensive player of the year.

This season he was averaging 24.3 points and 11.3 rebounds a game. The Spurs are 12th in the Western Conference, 3.5 games outside the play-in places.