Victor Wembanyama injury update: Spurs star diagnosed with concussion, to undergo further testing

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been diagnosed with a concussion, the team announced. He will undergo further testing on Wednesday.

Wembanyama went down hard in the first half of Tuesday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers and was later ruled out as he entered concussion protocol. At the time of his departure, he had five points, four rebounds and a block across 12 minutes of action.

Spurs head coach Mitch Johnson confirmed Wembanyama’s diagnosis during his postgame press conference. He did not think the star center had to go to the hospital, but said he entered concussion protocol.

“I don’t believe any of that,” Johnson said when asked about a trip to the hospital. “I just know he has a concussion. He’s in protocol. We’ll obviously take the proper and appropriate steps.”

According to the NFL’s official concussion policy, players cannot fully participate for at least 48 hours and until after they complete the return-to-participation process. That cannot begin until 24 hours after the time of injury.

In order to return to participation, Wembanyama will have to be symptom-free at rest and be evaluated by a physician with training and experience in managing concussions. Then, he will have to go through the return-to-participation exertion process. The director of the NBA’s concussion program will have to decide if his clearance is consistent with the NBA’s policy.

The Trail Blazers evened the series with the Spurs with Tuesday’s win. It will now head to Portland with the two teams tied 1-1 in the first round.

More on Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama is coming off a huge 2025-26 regular season in San Antonio to lead the Spurs to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. He averaged 25.0 points to go with 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 3.1 blocks and a steal per game. He also became the first player in NBA history to unanimously win Defensive Player of the Year.

After winning the award, though, Wembanyama – much like he does opposing teams’ shots during games – deflected the individual praise. Instead, he pointed out the importance of the entire team to bringing home the honor since he can thrive in the system.

“We often overlook the team aspect,” Wembanyama said, via ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “I’m sitting here. I happen to be the guy who’s put in the spotlight, but I am part of a system, and I couldn’t get this award, and I couldn’t do what I do if it wasn’t for my teammates … and my coaching staff.”