Inside The Spurs

Victor Wembanyama Limps Off Court With Leg injury as Spurs Beat Knicks

Wemby was shaken up and favoring his left leg after an awkward landing in the fourth quarter, but he told fans he was alright as he went to the tunnel. He came back to the bench, but did not return to the game.
Tom Petrini|
Dec 31, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks out New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Dec 31, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) blocks out New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) in the first half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

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San Antonio Spurs

Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama limped off the court with a left knee hyperextension in the fourth quarter of San Antonio's game against the New York Knicks.

Wembanyama went up for an offensive rebound and came down awkwardly as his left knee buckled slightly in the wrong direction. He stayed down on the court to collect himself, and after being helped up he limped and gingerly skipped to the locker room favoring his left leg.

The sellout San Antonio crowd collectively gasped, groaned, and held their breath as their superstar player hobbled to the tunnel, and he did his best to reassure them before he entered the locker room. He motioned to the fans while shaking his head and told them he was alright.

Wembanyama spent most of the fourth quarter in the back, but returned to the bench with two minutes to play and seemed to be in good spirits. He did not come back into the close game, but he said afterward that he wanted to.

"Feeling good, feeling great about the win," Wemby said. "Just sore, very confident."

Wembanyama himself broke the first official word of what injury he suffered, calling it a hyperextension.

"I expect to be back next game, I don't know what they expect," Wembanyama said, equal parts determined and jovial.

"I have not been able to talk to the medical staff yet, but, you know, I think I saw what everybody else saw," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after the game. "And you know, there's a visual there, but obviously he finished the game on the bench with his teammates. So I think that made me feel good... it was good to see him walk back out and be able to finish the game on the bench with his teammates."

READ MORE: As Constant Traveling Slows, Spurs Glad to Be Home

Wemby missed a good show down the stretch as the Spurs completed a 19-point comeback and erased a 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Julian Champagnie, who replaced the injured Devin Vassell in the starting lineup, set the nets ablaze with a franchise-record 11 made threes in the game. Four came in the decisive final period for Champagnie, who unseated Chuck "The Rifleman" Person and his record of nine that had stood for 28 years and one day.

Champagnie also set the record for most 3s ever made by an undrafted player in a game.

READ MORE: Wembanyama, Spurs Are Pumping Brakes on Playoff Talk

Wembanyama finished the game with 31 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes. The Spurs next game will be January 2 in Indiana against the 6-28 Pacers.

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Tom Petrini
TOM PETRINI

Tom Petrini has covered Spurs basketball for the last decade, first for Project Spurs and then for KENS 5 in San Antonio. After leaving the newsroom he co-founded the Silver and Black Coffee Hour, a weekly podcast where he catches up on Spurs news with friends Aaron Blackerby and Zach Montana. Tom lives in Austin with his partner Jess and their dogs Dottie and Guppy. His other interests include motorsports and making a nice marinara sauce.

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