Victor Wembanyama’s rise isn’t just about his size or skill but how steadily he builds on them. He spent the offseason preparing for a stronger year, working with Hakeem Olajuwon, learning from Kevin Garnett, and even traveling to China for conditioning. The payoff showed early as he averaged 26.2 points on over 50 percent shooting through 12 games. Then, almost abruptly, everything changed.

What happened to Victor Wembanyama?

Wembanyama suffered a left calf strain during NBA Cup group play on November 14 against the Golden State Warriors, a night when he logged 38 minutes with 26 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks. He was listed as questionable the next day and ruled out for the November 16 matchup with the Kings. Sadly, an MRI on November 17 confirmed the strain. But with no clear timetable shared, speculation quickly followed.

Is Victor Wembanyama Out for the Season?

No, Victor Wembanyama has not been ruled out for the 2025-26 season, despite the viral claim. After the MRI reveal, Head coach Mitch Johnson addressed the situation directly, saying, “Obviously, we’ve seen around this league recently that the calf-tightness thing is not something you want to take lightly. Don’t want to push it there.” But the hint is in ‘sidelined indefinitely’.

ESPN’s Shams Charania also later clarified the timeline, reporting that Wembanyama is expected to miss only ‘a few weeks’, not the entire season.

Spurs staff echoed that sentiment, noting he will be re-evaluated after the initial 2-3 week window. In other words, this can be a similar move to that of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, who kept repeating that Caitlin Clark isn’t out but didn’t play her the entire season after the injury.

The viral claim that sparked confusion

A Facebook page called Box Score PH ignited the confusion after posting that Victor Wembanyama would be “unable to return for the remainder of this year.”

The post went viral quickly, surging to 49,000 likes, 9,000 comments, and 7,400 shares in just three days. This was enough to convince many fans that the claim was legitimate despite no confirmation from the Spurs.

What most people do not know is that Box Score PH has openly labelled itself as “Satire. Parody. Memes. Read at your own risk.” It has a long history of posting exaggerated or fabricated sports headlines for engagement. 

The account has previously pushed similar fake or sensationalized updates. This Wembanyama claim is no different as it followed the same pattern. They gave a dramatic, misleading headline and presented it as breaking news, with no factual backing. 

Injury recovery timeline – when could Victor Wembanyama return?

The Spurs are approaching Wembanyama’s recovery with caution, focusing on a short-term plan built around a two-to-three-week reevaluation window after his MRI confirmed a left calf strain. Team officials have emphasized a conservative approach, with one Spurs source saying it will be “at least a couple of weeks before we even talk about the next step.” The priority is keeping his return measured rather than rushed, even if it takes longer.

The timeline for returning to the court depends on the location of the strain, its severity, and the specific type of muscle injury. Milder strains can allow a return within a couple of weeks, while more significant ones may require several months of recovery.

If the strain responds normally to treatment, the expected recovery timeline is a gradual return to movement. Then followed by light court work, conditioning, and finally full practices. 

Impact on Spurs’ Season Without Wembanyama

Wembanyama’s absence would shift San Antonio’s playoff landscape more than many realize. As per StatMuse, the Spurs have an 8-4 record in games with Wembanyama on the court. While they are 2-0 in the early stretch without him. Even though they stand at 11-4 in total games, they will look to maintain momentum. But replacing his production isn’t easy.

Through 12 games, Wembanyama averaged about 26.2 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 3.6 blocks. Losing that rim protection and high-usage scoring forces other players to step up. Practically, without Wembanyama, the Spurs become less dominant inside and more vulnerable on transition. Although they are on a three-game winning streak right now, that can slip at any moment.

The San Antonio Spurs are 48-81 with Victor Wembanyama all-time and 19-31 without him.

Has Wembanyama Had Injury Issues Before?

Well, one main reason the false claim caught traction was that this had actually happened before. In the 2024-25 season, Wembanyama’s year was derailed by a serious medical issue. The press release then read, “Spurs center Victor Wembanyama will be out for the 2024-25 season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder.” Because DVT is treated with blood thinners, he could not continue playing safely, and the team shut him down for the final 30 regular-season games.

At the time of his shutdown, Wembanyama had appeared in only 46 games, averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.8 blocks per game. San Antonio eventually finished 34-48 in 2024-25 and missed the playoffs.

Final verdict – what we know so far

The bottom line is, Wemby is not ruled out for the season. The viral Facebook claim that he is finished for the year is not supported by the Spurs or major outlets and, therefore, is misleading. So expect the same fiery Wemby returning by December if the recovery timeline is realistic.