Victor Wembanyama. Image via: Michael Gonzales/ Getty Images
Victor Wembanyama has carried the San Antonio Spurs into a place that once felt distant. Just days before his playoff debut, questions lingered about his health after a late-season rib issue.
The good news is, he is expected to play, and the Spurs are preparing as if their cornerstone will be ready when the series opens.That clarity is important because everything around him feels bigger now. San Antonio enters as the No. 2 seed, set to host the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 1. For a franchise that has waited seven years to return to the postseason.
What is Victor Wembanyama’s playoff status?
Victor Wembanyama. Image via: Kent Smith/ NBAE via Getty Images
The short answer is encouraging. Victor Wembanyama is on track to suit up Sunday at Frost Bank Arena, marking his first NBA playoff appearance.
After missing a few games late in the regular season, he described himself as “very close” to full fitness. It is the kind of update the Spurs needed, especially with expectations rising around a team that finished 62-20.His impact this season has been hard to ignore. In 64 games, he averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a league-best 3.1 blocks while anchoring both ends of the floor. That growth did not come easily. A year ago, his season was cut short by blood clots in his shoulder, and the organization was still adjusting after longtime coach Gregg Popovich stepped away following a stroke.
“It means a lot, coming back from a terrible place,” Wembanyama said, reflecting on the path that brought him here.Now, the focus has shifted to what comes next. He admits the stakes feel familiar, comparing the buzz in San Antonio to the atmosphere he experienced during the Olympics with France. “You can feel it, for sure,” he said. “Everybody is a little bit more locked in. Everybody is a little bit more involved.”Still, there is a balance he is trying to hold. “I can’t really help but dream about it, but we have to stay grounded, stay in the moment,” he added.
It is a line that captures both the ambition and the restraint shaping this young Spurs group.
Victor Wembanyama wins Magic Johnson award
Just as the playoffs approach, Wembanyama picked up another milestone off the court. The Professional Basketball Writers Association named him the 2025-26 Magic Johnson Award, recognizing not only his dominance but also his openness with media and fans.PBWA president Howard Beck said, “Victor Wembanyama thoroughly embodies the spirit of this award – as a superstar who is just as thoughtful and engaging off the court as he is dominant on the court.”
The honor places him alongside recent winners like Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, making him one of the league’s most complete figures. On the court, he remains in the running for both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, a rare combination that could put him in historic company.
