Victor Wembanyama opened up about one of the most frightening moments of his young career while speaking with Malika Andrews. The Spurs star reflected on how a sudden health scare forced him to confront the fragility of life beyond basketball.
“It’s gonna be one year soon since I learned,” Wembanyama said. “And it was five minutes of total breakdown. Praying and sadness, and feeling the fragility of life.”
The revelation marked an abrupt pause in what had been a meteoric rise. At just twenty years old, Wembanyama was no longer thinking about awards, expectations, or development, but about something far more basic. In that moment, basketball took a back seat to survival and perspective.
“Basketball wasn’t my priority all of a sudden,” Wembanyama said. “At a time like this when you have to take measures quickly, you have to make choices. It’s the best example that life is short, a career is short, and it can end just like this. There is no time to waste.”
Victor, 21, was diagnosed with blood clots that kept him out for the majority of last season. The diagnosis required immediate treatment and careful monitoring, sidelining him initially and introducing real uncertainty into his future. Fortunately, doctors were able to address the issue before it escalated, but it ultimately cost him the remainder of the 2024–25 season. He was shut down after just 46 games, and the recovery process was neither quick nor easy.
Unlike other sports-related injuries, blood clots carry implications that go far beyond the game, and it was a sobering realization for Wembanyama. His life was at risk, and his entire perspective on the future shifted in an instant. Fortunately, the situation has improved significantly for both Wembanyama and the Spurs.
This season, his comeback has been nothing short of remarkable. Fully healthy and playing with renewed purpose, Wembanyama has anchored a Spurs resurgence that currently has San Antonio sitting second in the Western Conference. In 17 games so far, he is averaging 23.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.9 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game on 51.4 percent shooting (35.7 percent from three).
Only time will tell how this season ultimately unfolds for Wembanyama, but he has already come a long way since last year’s setback. If he can stay healthy and guide the Spurs to a top-three finish in the West, it could mark the beginning of a defining chapter in his career.
Victor Wembanyama’s journey over the past year has added depth to an already remarkable rise. What once felt like a terrifying interruption has instead sharpened his focus, grounding his approach to both basketball and life. Now healthy and thriving, he’s playing with a sense of purpose that goes beyond stats or standings. For Wembanyama, every night on the floor feels earned, and that perspective may be his greatest advantage moving forward.
