Victor Wembanyama has taken a hard fall and has been placed in concussion protocols, ruling him out for the rest of Game 2 of the Spurs’ opening round series with the Trail Blazers.
The Spurs’ big man and the NBA’s first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year attempted a move to the basket during the second quarter when he seemed to lose his footing while in the paint.
Watch NBA with ESPN on Kayo Sports | Stream an average 9 LIVE Regular Season games per week plus the best of the NBA Playoffs.| New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.
Wembanyama fell forward and appeared to hit his head, chin first, hard onto the court, The New York Post reports.
The former No. 1 overall pick lay on the court for several seconds and was clearly in pain, and when he attempted to get up, Wembanyama was clearly dazed, leading him to have to sit back down.
You can watch the incident in the video player above.
San Antonio called a time out and the Spurs’ star was eventually able to get up from the court on his own before heading to the locker room to be looked at further.
The team later announced that Wembanyama, who is expected to sign a max contract extension worth up to $450 million (AUD), had entered concussion protocol and would miss the rest of the game.
Wembanyama has been a force for the Spurs all season and any absence would be a tough break for them.
Before Wembanyama exited, he played 12 minutes and recorded five points on 1-of-3 shooting.
He had put on an impressive performance in Game 1 of the series when he put up 35 points in the Spurs’ 111-98 win.
If Wembanyama does have a concussion, he would not be able to play for 48 hours and then would have to go through a league-mandated protocol in order to be able to get back on the court.
The Spurs and Blazers play their next game on Friday in Portland.
The Spurs have not played in the first round of the playoffs since 2019 and the Trail Blazers have not made the postseason since 2021.
NBA commentators were left holding their breath before word came through about Wembanyama’s condition.
NBA fan Zach Schumaker wrote on X: “This is a really scary scene for Victor Wembanyama.
The way he reacted after trying to stand up makes it look like he went unconscious and has a concussion.
“Hate to see this happen to anyone on the court. Praying he is okay.”
Spurs commentator Don Harris also said: “It’s been my experience in concussion protocol that sometimes that can be 2-3 days.
“Sometimes up to a week. This entire series has taken a dramatic turn.”
Portland won the game 106-103 to tie the series.
— This story originally appeared on The New York Post and has been republished with permission
