Victor Wembanyama has never lacked physical advantages, but his rise in the NBA has been driven by more than his towering frame. The San Antonio Spurs star entered the league carrying enormous expectations, with the ambition to match them. However, a serious medical scare during his sophomore season forced him to look beyond basketball and reconsider what mattered most. The experience also changed how he views his career and future in the game. Now, as he sets his sights on another MVP-caliber season, Wembanyama is making it clear that he has no intention of slowing down.
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“I think the condition I had early 2025, the thrombosis, it’s a huge impact,” Wemby said, speaking with Jon Wertheim for 60 Minutes. “After that, it’s like, life’s so short. I don’t even want to waste it being somebody else. You know, simple as that.”
Victor Wembanyama explained how his 2025 diagnosis continues to shape his outlook. The medical officials diagnosed Wemby with deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder in February 2025, bringing his season to an abrupt end.
The diagnosis was more than a temporary setback.
Wembanyama had to step away from the court and undergo thoracic outlet decompression surgery to address the underlying venous thoracic outlet syndrome. It’s an extremely risky procedure that can derail a sports career.
Fortunately, the team cleared him to return in July 2025 after completing his recovery.
There was also a demanding rehabilitation process behind that return. Victor Wembanyama reportedly committed six to eight hours a day to his offseason routine, combining physical recovery with work on his mental discipline.
And out of the box, he took an interesting off-season journey. His trip to a Shaolin temple in China, where he explored kung fu and Chan meditation, offered another dimension to that process.
His experience also brought back difficult memories for the NBA.
Chris Bosh’s career ended after recurring blood clots, and the former Miami Heat star publicly warned Victor Wembanyama about the seriousness of the condition. Brandon Ingram, meanwhile, dealt with venous thoracic outlet syndrome and returned to the court after treatment. Those cases underline why the Spurs took a cautious approach rather than rushing their franchise player back.
After he returned to the floor, he had his eyes set on only one thing: the MVP award.
Victor Wembanyama’s return in 2025–26 was productive. San Antonio won 62 games, and he claimed Defensive Player of the Year honors. He finished third in MVP voting, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić. However, the result did not end his argument for the award.
In March 2026, right before the postseason, Wemby made his case to the press, citing his defensive impact, his team’s success against Oklahoma City, and the broader value of his contributions on offense.
That confidence resurfaced during the 60 Minutes conversation. Wertheim reminded Wembanyama that he had previously argued he should have won the MVP. The exchange took a turn when the center appeared to question the wording before giving a different answer.
“You were up front last year: ‘I should’ve won the MVP.’ You made a strong case. I’m guessing your views haven’t changed on that,” Wertheim said.
Wembanyama responded, “You should’ve won the MVP?” After Wertheim clarified the question, the Spurs star replied: “No. I should win it this year, though.”
He is setting a target for the season ahead, confident that his game can justify it. His health will remain central to that pursuit, particularly after what happened in 2025.
The Spurs have a player who has already experienced how quickly a career can be interrupted. Victor Wembanyama’s ambition has not diminished; if anything, his perspective has sharpened it.
With 6 games into the season, he has already begun to dominate, averaging 28.0 ppg, 10.7 rpg, and 4.2 blocks per game.
He wants the MVP, and he is prepared to make that case on the court.