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Victor Wembanyama during a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 29, 2025
A recent wave of injury scares has rippled through the NBA, highlighted earlier this week by concerns surrounding Nikola Jokic and now involving San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.
Wembanyama exited Wednesday night’s dramatic 134-132 victory over the New York Knicks, a rematch of the NBA Cup Final, late in the fourth quarter after appearing to hyperextend his left knee while battling for a rebound.
The moment immediately drew concern inside the arena, as the Spurs’ franchise cornerstone collapsed to the floor before heading to the locker room.
Given Wembanyama’s importance to the organization, the sight was understandably alarming. However, early evaluations have since delivered encouraging news for both the team and its fan base.
Spurs Avoid Worst-Case Scenario With Wembanyama
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, initial testing returned negative and revealed no major structural damage to Wembanyama’s knee. The injury has been classified as a minor hyperextension, with no ligament involvement detected.
Notably, Wembanyama later returned to the bench appearing calm, before celebrating alongside teammates as the Spurs completed their comeback victory.
As he initially headed to the locker room, the 21-year-old appeared to reassure concerned fans, repeatedly saying, “I’m fine, I’m fine.”
Before the injury scare, Wembanyama delivered another dominant performance. He finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds in just 24 minutes, while also knocking down his 300th career three pointer.
That milestone made him the fastest seven-footer in NBA history to reach the mark, accomplishing the feat in 138 games. The previous record was held by the Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen, who reached 300 threes in 141 games.
Postgame Reaction to Wembanyama Injury Scare
Following the game, Wembanyama addressed reporters and offered reassurance, saying he was “feeling good just sore” and expressed confidence about the extent of the injury. He also revealed that he nearly returned to the game after the scare.
“I was confident. I was this close to coming back in the game,” Wembanyama said. “They had to hold me back. It was just a hyperextension, so it should be minimal. We’ve got to do everything tomorrow still to check that everything’s OK.”
While the Spurs are expected to monitor his status closely over the coming days, the early outlook is undeniably positive. Avoiding significant knee damage allows San Antonio to focus on short-term recovery rather than long-term damage control.
As for a potential timeline, there is still uncertainty. Jokic suffered a similar injury and is being re-evaluated in around a month, but it remains unclear how much time Wembanyama could be sidelined for.
The Spurs star did add optimism postgame, telling reporters, “I expect to be back the next game,” though whether that proves realistic remains to be seen.
Wembanyama has already experienced one injury setback this season. He missed 12 games earlier in the season with a left calf strain, and upon returning, he spent six games coming off the bench on a minutes restriction before rejoining the starting lineup last weekend.
The latest news surrounding Wembanyama comes as a significant relief. The Spurs can breathe easier knowing their generational cornerstone appears to have avoided what could have been a far more serious setback, even as they continue to proceed cautiously with his recovery.
Matt Evans Matt Evans is a sports journalist from the United Kingdom, based in Paris, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA and wider global sport. More about Matt Evans
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