In a shocking turn of events, All-Star big man Victor Wembanyama was back on the court Wednesday, a little over 24 hours after sustaining a concussion in Game 2 of the San Antonio Spurs vs Portland Trail Blazers first-round playoff series.
Per multiple reports, Wemby did light cardio and seemed determined to board the flight to Portland, where the Spurs will play Games 3 and 4 over the weekend.
Spurs beat writer Dusty Garza shared the video below, along with a positive Wemby update late on Wednesday night.
“As reported, Wemby was back at the Spurs practice facility and someone caught a glimpse. He seemed to be in good spirits,” Garza wrote on X.
“Word late Wednesday night is that he’s pushing to be cleared to at least fly to Portland when the Spurs leave Thursday.”
Victor Wembanyama Injury Update
While it’s unclear whether Wembanyama will be cleared in time to fly to Portland, his return to the court on Wednesday bodes well for his chances of playing either Game 4 on Sunday or even Game 5 back in San Antonio next Tuesday.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Wednesday that Wemby did not suffer any worsening symptoms the day after he sustained a concussion in Game 2.
“I’m told Victor Wembanyama was able to participate in cardio work late Wednesday because his symptoms didn’t worsen,” Charania told “Inside the NBA” on ESPN.
“He wasn’t feeling worse than he did when he suffered that concussion, and as of right now, my understanding is he is hopeful that he’ll be able to travel with the team to Portland on Thursday.”
Reason to Celebrate for Spurs?
Although it’s a big step for Wemby to return to practice, Charania highlighted that the Spurs star needed to clear several benchmarks before being cleared to return.
“He has to clear neurological exams every single day, and what we know about the Spurs is they’re going to always err on the side of caution — especially with someone like Victor Wembanyama,” Charania said.
Under the NBA’s concussion protocol, a player isn’t allowed to resume basketball activities for at least 48 hours after sustaining a concussion, but can resume gradual activity after 24 hours if symptoms subside. As such, Wemby’s cardio work on Wednesday suggests he was already in the second stage of his recovery process. Once he is cleared by the Spurs medical staff, Wemby would also be evaluated by the NBA’s specialized concussion protocol doctor.
For what it’s worth, the average return timeline for NBA players with concussions is nine days. However, there have been instances of players returning more quickly. There were earlier concerns that Wembanyama might miss the rest of the Spurs vs. Trail Blazers series if his concussion was more serious. That doesn’t appear to be the case.
The Spurs enter Game 3 against the Trail Blazers as 3.5-point favorites despite the uncertainty surrounding Wemby’s status.
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