Victor Wembanyama expected to miss remainder of season after blood clot diagnosis, Spurs announce

San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder, the Spurs announced Thursday.

It is a massive blow to the Spurs, who are contending for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. And it is the second major hit to the Spurs this season after coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke in November and has been unable to coach since.

Wembanyama’s condition — deep vein thrombosis — was diagnosed this week after he returned from the All-Star Game, the Spurs said. It is almost always treated with blood-thinning medication, which typically precludes a player from participating in a contact sport such as basketball.

The 7-foot-3 Wembanyama was the league’s rookie of the year last season and the frontrunner to be defensive player of the year this season. He has already taken 403 3-pointers and blocked 176 shots this season — no player in NBA history has ever finished a season with those numbers, and Wembanyama did it this year by the All-Star break.