During the San Antonio Spurs' most recent game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Victor Wembanyama left the game with a rib injury.
The San Antonio Spurs look like the team to beat coming out of the Western Conference, boasting the second-best record and a dominant 4-1 season series lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Last year, the Spurs' effort was cut short as Victor Wembanyama was diagnosed with blood clots in his shoulder. This season, he has remained healthy, although he can only miss one more game before he is ineligible for individual awards, like MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
During the Spurs' most recent game against the Philadelphia 76ers, doom may have been spelled for Wemby's MVP case, as the frontrunner left the game early with a rib injury.
BREAKING: Wemby Ruled Out With Injury
In 16 minutes, Wembanyama posted 17 points, five rebounds, and three blocks. De'Aaron Fox found him for a thunderous dunk in the first quarter, but the game ended early for the French superstar.
On multiple occasions, Wembanyama hit the floor, looked banged up, and fell victim to the Sixers' physicality. He was seen clutching his lower body and shoulder, although he was officially ruled out at halftime with a rib injury.
With Luka Doncic and Cade Cunningham unable to hit the NBA's 65-game threshold, Wembanyama emerged as a frontrunner alongside Shai Gilgheous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Jaylen Brown. If he wins the award this season, he will break Derrick Rose's record as the youngest MVP in league history.
Since Wembanyama got the starting nod tonight, it counts towards his 65-apperance effort. He can still miss one contest this season, and the Spurs have three games left.
The Spurs will remain at home, closing out the season against the Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, and Dallas Mavericks, all with a day off between each appearance. Wembanyama will have time to recover, but with a razor-thin margin for error, getting to the required 65 games is not guaranteed. On top of that, Jokic and SGA have solid candidacies of their own, never making Wembanyama a true, unopposed MVP frontrunner.
