Victor Wembanyama Receives Medical Clearance Following Shoulder Thrombosis

Victor Wembanyama has been medically cleared to return to basketball after recovering from deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder that limited him to 46 games last season. The San Antonio Spurs star announced his clearance to French newspaper L’Equipe, with a league source confirming the team’s approval.

The 21-year-old center received clearance from the Spurs’ medical staff on Friday, ahead of the originally projected September training camp timeline. Wembanyama led the NBA in blocked shots last season despite his campaign ending after the All-Star break due to the blood clot diagnosis.

“It just happened,” said Wembanyama. “I got the green light from the Spurs’ medical staff just [on Friday]. Phew, I’ll finally be able to play a bit of basketball again.”

The 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year posted unprecedented numbers before his injury, averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3.8 blocks per game. Wembanyama became the first player in NBA history to record 304 three-pointers and 176 blocked shots in a single season. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76 had previously achieved similar statistical benchmarks.

Wembanyama recently completed a 10-day training session at a Shaolin temple in Zhengzhou, China, followed by a vacation in Japan. Sources indicated the French star pursued kung fu training with monks to explore different training methods and enhance his mental focus and body positioning.

Wembanyama made a public appearance at NBA Summer League on Thursday, drawing applause from the Thomas & Mack Center crowd. Wembanyama sat courtside with teammates De’Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes, Jeremy Sochan, Julian Champagnie and Keldon Johnson during San Antonio’s victory over Philadelphia.