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Fans who piled into American Airlines Center on Saturday to witness rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama in action are unquestionably devastated after seeing him scratched from the San Antonio Spurs' road game against the Dallas Mavericks. The cause of his last-minute injury will have them feeling even more disheartened.
“He stepped on a ball boy’s foot during warmups,” ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported. “After he was re-taped, Spurs made decision to sit him.” Wembanyama was originally on a minutes restriction for the contest due to ankle soreness before head coach Gregg Popovich and company decided to play it safe and allow the French native to heal up.
The freak occurrence hearkens back to when Kevin Durant suffered his own ankle injury this past March after slipping on the floor during pregame warmups. He missed 10 games. Hopefully, this accident does not result in a similar timetable for the 19-year-old center.
Wembanyama is in a tight race with Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren for Rookie of the Year, and is averaging a double-double of 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds. His 3.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game showcase the two-way dominance scouts salivated over before he was was selected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Wembanyama is one of the lone bright spots on a dismal, 4-23 Spurs team.
Fans will ideally get an update from Popovich after the game, which the Mavs (16-12) currently lead at halftime. San Antonio has lost three in a row after just ending an 18-game losing streak. There is little reason to invest in this franchise right now aside from Victor Wembanyama, so his health is essential.
These things happen sometimes, but just to be safe, that ball boy should put on a hat and pair of shades. Or exit the building immediately.
