San Antonio Spurs star center Victor Wembanyama avoided a major injury after enduring a late-game scare during Wednesday’s 134-132 home victory over the New York Knicks. Still, following another setback, the third-year big man’s end-of-season awards eligibility is in growing jeopardy due to the NBA’s 65-game requirement.
As he inches closer to disqualification for the second straight year, Wembanyama shared his thoughts on the divisive rule.
Victor Wembanyama Makes Feelings Clear on NBA’s 65-Game Rule
Wembanyama landed awkwardly while battling for a fourth-quarter rebound against New York, forcing him to limp to the locker room with 10:32 remaining. The 21-year-old didn’t return to the court, with many fearing that he may have suffered a serious knee injury.
However, after joining his teammates on the bench for the final minutes, Wembanyama downplayed the setback postgame, claiming that he was “close to coming back.” He was promptly diagnosed with a “slight hyperextension in his left knee,” with a follow-up MRI revealing no ligament damage.
Even so, San Antonio is playing it safe with its franchise cornerstone, as Wembanyama didn’t travel with his squad to Indianapolis for Friday’s road clash against the Indiana Pacers.
His status for Saturday’s home matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers is also in question, raising concerns about his dwindling eligibility for 2026 awards, most notably NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Players must suit up in a minimum of 65 out of 82 games to contend for MVP, DPOY, Most Improved Player, All-NBA teams, and All-Defensive teams, allowing a maximum of 17 absences. The rule was implemented starting in the 2023-24 campaign to combat load management, one of the league’s most prevalent issues at the time.
Wembanyama already missed 12 contests earlier this season due to a left calf strain, with Friday set to mark his 13th absence through 34 outings.
Nevertheless, when asked by L’Équipe’s Maxime Aubin what he thinks about the 65-game threshold in the wake of his latest injury, Wembanyama delivered a balanced response.
“I don’t dislike that rule,” Wembanyama said. “And yes, of course it’s in my mind, even if it’s not the first thing I think about. But I also know the Spurs medical staff will do their job regardless of that. That’s what we expect from them, and they’re very good at staying objective.”
Wembanyama also failed to qualify for awards consideration last season, as deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder limited him to just 46 appearances.
While the 7-foot-4 phenom has been the trendy DPOY pick entering each of the past two seasons, he will need to improve his durability to finally claim the honor.
