HOUSTON, Texas (AFP) — San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss the rest of the National Basketball Association (NBA) season after being diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder, the team said Thursday.

The Spurs said in a statement that the 21-year-old French player was diagnosed with the blood clot after he returned to San Antonio following last Sunday’s All-Star game in San Francisco.

“Wembanyama is expected to miss the remainder of the 2024-25 regular season,” the Spurs said.

“The team will provide updates as appropriate.”

The announcement brings a premature end to another outstanding campaign by Wembanyama, who earned Rookie of the Year honors last season after being taken first overall in the NBA draft.

“It’s tough,” San Antonio’s veteran point guard Chris Paul said of losing Wembanyama, who was averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and a league-best 3.8 blocks in 46 games for the Spurs this season.

“Tough more than anything, I think for all of us, knowing how much he means to our team, but more so knowing how much he means to the game and how much he loves to play.”

Other NBA players have dealt with similar health concerns. Chris Bosh, a two-time NBA champion with the Miami Heat, was ultimately forced to retire at the age of 32 after repeatedly dealing with blood clots.

But the Detroit Pistons’ Ausar Thompson has returned to play 33 games this season after he was diagnosed with a blood clot in March of last year. Brandon Ingram, now with the Toronto Raptors, recovered after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right arm in 2019.

But it’s a big blow for a player who made an immediate impact on arriving in the league and whose influence is only growing in his second season.

The 7-foot-3 Wembanyama became an All-Star for the first time when he was chosen as a reserve.

Young Minnesota star Anthony Edwards noted Wembanyama’s rise during All-Star weekend when he was asked if he considered himself a candidate for “next face of the league.”

“Not really,” Edwards said,

“That’s what they’ve got Wemby for.”

The Spurs have reportedly indicated they expect Wembanyama to make a full recovery.

While the team’s announcement didn’t rule out the possibility that Wembanyama could be fit for the playoffs, the chances of San Antonio reaching the postseason without him look slim.

The Spurs are in 12th place in the Western Conference, two spots away from the final play-in berth now held by the Golden State Warriors.

Even with the arrival of high-scoring guard De’Aaron Fox from Sacramento at the trade deadline, the Spurs will likely suffer without their centerpiece.

“I think everybody understands that basketball is what we do and not who we are,” Paul told reporters at San Antonio’s practice session ahead of Thursday’s game against Phoenix.

“So life and everything is so much more important. But for us, we know losing a big part of our team like that is (compensated for) by committee.”

“Trust me, you can’t replace Vic,” Paul said.

“I can’t stand on a guy’s shoulders and block every shot that comes to the rim.

“Aside from his basketball ability, his charisma and what he brings into the locker room I think is what we’ll miss the most.”

Wembanyama was playing in the French league a year and a half ago before his selection as the number one pick in the 2023 NBA draft set him on the path to global stardom.

He helped France capture the silver medal at last year’s Paris Olympics, where they fell to the United States in the final.

His sophomore season included a trip home to France, where the Spurs split two games in Paris with the Indiana Pacers.

On course for a potential Defensive Player of the Year honors, Wembanyama will now not play enough games to be eligible for any of the major end of season awards.

Losing Wembanyama is another blow for the Spurs, after legendary longtime coach Gregg Popovich suffered a stroke in November that forced him to take indefinite leave from the team.

Paul insisted that the Spurs remained focused on making the post-season.

“That’s the plan,” he said.

“That’s absolutely the plan. I know Vic, I know Pop, they wouldn’t have it any other way.”