Victor Wembanyama, the 2.21m, 21-year-old French giant for the San Antonio Spurs, will not play again this season after suffering a deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder last month. That’s why his teammates were amazed when they saw him arrive at the airport and board the plane with them that would take them to Sacramento, where they played last night against the Kings.
The surprise was enormous, as Wembanyama is undergoing treatment with anticoagulants, which would in principle discourage him and any patient suffering from the same pathology from traveling by plane because of the possible danger that this could entail.
A specific type of anticoagulant
However, a team employee explained that the team’s doctors had deemed it safe for him to travel because of the specific type of blood-thinning medication he is taking to treat the blood clot in his right shoulder. He further said that Wembanyama is not expected to make all trips, as some important steps in his treatment plan could take place during times when the Spurs are on tour.
The reason the Frenchman decided to fly this time with his team was to support his new teammate De’Aaron Fox, who was returning to Sacramento to face the Kings last night for the first time since he was traded to the Spurs as part of a three-team, multi-player, multi-draft pick transaction.
The only thing we want is for Wemby to be healthy enough to get on a plane and support us as a team. That’s what he wants to do anyway
“What Wembanyama is going through is definitely tough,” Fox said at Friday’s shootaround. “The only thing we want is for him to be healthy. We want him to be healthy enough to be able to get on a plane and support us as a team. That’s what he wants to do anyway,” he said.
A secret treatment?
Mitch Johnson, the Spurs’ interim coach due to Gregg Popovich’s health problems, was more enigmatic: “Some of the things that have already been discussed with respect to Wembanyama’s treatment we’ll probably keep secret for now,” he said. “It’s all as we said initially. There will be no long-term effects on his health or basketball activities.”
Some of the things that have already been discussed regarding Wemby’s treatment will be kept secret for now
Wembanyama was sitting on the bench playing with his phone while his teammates went through the shooting session at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento. The Spurs remain optimistic and believe Wembanyama will make a full recovery by the start of next season. However, the Frenchman has been given strict orders by his team not to even touch a basketball.
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