The NBA world was delivered a jarring update Thursday when the San Antonio Spurs announced that star second-year player Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the 2024–25 season with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder. San Antonio reportedly caught the issue after reports of heavy fatigue from the big man, even after time off during the All-Star break.
San Antonio, which just acquired De’Aaron Fox ahead of the trade deadline to prepare for a stretch run, will now have to press on in its pursuit of a play-in or playoff position without its young star. Heading into Thursday night, San Antonio sits 12th in the Western Conference, 3.5 games back from a spot in the play-in tournament.
The NBA community voiced immediate concern with some recalling Chris Bosh’s history with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. Bosh was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism in 2015, ending his season, and he could not pass a physical as he attempted to return to get ready for the 2016-17 season. Bosh hoped to return to the NBA after, but announced his pursuit of playing was over in 2019.
While Wembanyama’s diagnosis is clearly serious, his current injury differentiates from that of Bosh’s situation. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, UCLA vascular surgeon Hugh A. Gelabert, MD called them "very different" based on the information that has been reported. In 2016, Bosh was reported to have a pulmonary embolism (blood clots in the lung) caused by deep vein thrombosis in his legs. In regards to Wembanyama, San Antonio has reported he has deep vein thrombosis in his shoulder.
Shoulder clots are generally lower risk and smaller overall than leg clots, according to Gelabert, who conducted a clot-removing surgery on Brandon Ingram's right arm in 2019.
The cause for deep vein thrombosis could be a number of things, but common syndromes causing deep vein thrombosis are thoracic outlet syndrome or Paget-Schroetter Syndrome, according to Gelabert.
Thoracic outlet syndrome can impact nerves or blood vessels, but in the case of a deep vein thrombosis caused by the syndrome, the veins become compressed, causing blood clots, according to Gelabert. Paget-Schroetter Syndrome is a syndrome, “where the vein that empties the arm is pinched between the collar bone and first rib,” Gelabert said.
The treatment process is to remove the clot, undergo surgery, and then recovery, often involving a few months of blood thinners. Gelabert said for most patients, the risk of further clotting is normally minimal after the procedure.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Chris Bosh, Victor Wembanyama Situations 'Very Different,' Surgeon Says.
