Beloved San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama criticized the NBA for how they handled his concussion protocol after Game 2’s injury against the Portland Trail Blazers. Wembanyama took a hard fall and was forced to the locker room to miss the rest of the game. However, it appears that Wemby was more upset about being forced out of Game 3 when he felt he was in good enough health to get cleared by the league.
Wembanyama shared the following comment after a strong return in Game 4:
“I don’t want it to become a distraction. Ask me again at the end of the season. I won’t get into the details. All the doctors, especially on the Spurs. They were great. They took great care of me, but the way the situation was handled was very disappointing. Not on the Spurs end.”
Frustration was shared by Wemby for his confusion over why he didn’t get cleared faster. Wembanyama even told the media to ask him about this again at the end of the season, because he can’t share more without making it a bigger story right now. All of San Antonio’s focus is on making a deep playoff run to contend for the title, so Wemby opted to wait on his full rant.
Why Wemby Is Mad At The NBA
Wembanyama praised the Spurs franchise and their doctors for how things went on that end during this process. Players have no control over when they can play or even take part in practice again via the NBA’s concussion protocol rules being so elaborate.
Concussions have become a dangerous risk in sports, so top sports leagues must be careful about clearing someone to play. Wemby likely was unhappy with the cautious approach and confusing parameters behind what dictates him being healthy enough to play.
The comment shows that Wembanyama believes the NBA played it too safe and prolonged his absence longer than expected. In his defense, Wemby appeared to be right since he got cleared in time for today’s game just two days after Game 3. The good news is that San Antonio has Wembanyama back at 100% and closer to an intense second round series against the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves.
Wemby Has Zero Restrictions Moving Forward
The concussion protocol is a confusing process since it’s meant to monitor a player’s head and to ensure there are no symptoms before he can play again. However, once a player is cleared, it’s like the injury never happened.
Wembanyama was able to play for 34 minutes today and appeared to be at full strength with a dominating performance. 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 7 blocks for Wemby proved that the Trail Blazers had no answer for the MVP finalist.
Portland losing both games at home essentially confirms that San Antonio is likely advancing to the next round beyond a huge collapse. Young players like Devin Vassell, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper all had great performances in Wembanyama’s absence to give the Spurs more faith in their roster for the rest of the postseason.
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