San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will be absent from Thursday evening’s matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers after suffering a right ankle injury.
The French sensation’s absence comes just 24 hours after he delivered a spectacular performance against the Golden State Warriors, recording 41 points, 18 rebounds, and three blocks in San Antonio’s decisive 127-113 road win.
Following that impressive showing, Wembanyama expressed his strong desire to capture the league’s Most Valuable Player Award, while he’s already viewed as a leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
“I do care deeply about it,” Wembanyama shared with media regarding his MVP aspirations. “I think that of the greats that are in the Hall of Fame — or the best of all time — they have fought and grabbed everything they could grab early on in their career. If I want to make my spot among the greats, I got to try to not miss any occasion to put my name up there.”
The young center has appeared in 61 games this season but still needs to reach the 65-game minimum to qualify for major league honors. Following Thursday’s missed contest, he must participate in at least four of the Spurs’ remaining five regular season matchups to maintain his award eligibility.
The 22-year-old is posting impressive numbers this season, contributing 24.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks per contest while connecting on 117 three-point attempts.
San Antonio enters the game with a 58-18 record after winning their last 10 games, positioning them just two games behind the defending champion Oklahoma Thunder for the Western Conference’s top playoff seed.
