News broke this past Thursday that San Antonio Spur’s star center Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the NBA season following a blood clot found in his shoulder. When a blood clot forms in a deep vein typically located in the arm, thigh, pelvis, or leg and breaks loose it can travel through the bloodstream and cause an embolism which could result in death. Wembanyama is not the only NBA star to suffer from a blood clot, back in 2015 Miami Heat center Chris Bosh was diagnosed with a blood clot on one of his lungs. Ever since the diagnosis Bosh’s career dwindled leaving speculation around the blossoming 7 foot 3, 21-year-old’s playing future.The technical name for a blood clot is called a thrombus. This can form for a number of reasons including venous injury or inadequate blood flow through a deep vein. The majority of deep vein thrombosis occurs in the lower leg thigh or pelvis. The thrombus’s presence will completely block blood flow through the vein. Complications can include damage the the valves of the venous system and inner lining due to the amount of pressure caused. Due to the thrombus’s ability to become dislodged and block blood to the lungs, creating a pulmonary embolism, this is a life-threatening condition. Approximately 1-3 out of every 1,000 American adults develop a DVT and up to 300,000 people die each year as a result. It is the third leading vascular disease behind heart attacks and strokes. Up to about 30% of people are asymptomatic prior to diagnosis. Those with symptoms have swelling, pain and tenderness, wariness, red discoloration, severe headache, and some superficial veins that can appear larger than normal. Those who are asymptomatic typically find out they have a DVT because it has traveled and turned into a pulmonary embolism. Acute symptoms of a pulmonary embolism include chest pain, shortness of breath, coughing blood, lightheadedness, and fainting. You should immediately call 911 and seek medical treatment from the emergency room if these symptoms occur, do not wait.
Wembanyama, a notoriously healthy prodigy child of the basketball community, is not your typical patient. He is in peak physical condition, eats clean, exercises regularly, gets medical screenings consistently, is not overweight, and is young. One factor that goes against Wemby is his height, at 7’3” his vascular system is placed under a significantly larger amount of stress. Testing includes a duplex venous ultrasound which is the most common due to its non-invasive nature and widespread availability. MRI, CT scans, and Venography are also testing options to diagnose a DVT.
Treatment Wemby will go through include taking anticoagulants, also known as blood thinners. It is important to apply compression to the area, for instance when a DVT occurs in the lower extremity compression socks are strongly recommended. Traveling is another concern for the Spurs and a large reason why he was shut down. Apart from the physical inability to play the behind the scenes lifestyle is also impacted. Flights, long bus drives, and car rides are all scenarios where Wemby would have to get up and frequently move around to avoid further clotting. In some extreme cases, an Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) filter can be placed which prevents PE from reaching the lungs.
The 21-year-old Frenchman was averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.8 blocks per game this season. Wembanyama likely would have won Defensive Player of the Year and possibly earned an All-NBA team spot as well. He will look to return 100% healthy for the 2025-2026 NBA season.
