The Milwaukee Bucks introduced on Tuesday star guard Damian Lillard has deep vein thrombosis — a bit greater than a month after San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was identified with a blood clot in his proper shoulder, ending his season.
Lillard is receiving blood-thinning medicine, and the Bucks have mentioned he can be out indefinitely. Lillard and Wembanyama aren’t the one athletes or basketball gamers to undergo from blood clots; a number of gamers, together with Chris Bosh, Brandon Ingram and Ausar Thompson, have had comparable medical points. Though it’s not but recognized how their diagnosises will have an effect on their careers long run, previous instances in sports activities can function a reference level.
What’s deep vein thrombosis?
Deep vein thrombosis is a situation the place a blood clot types in a vein deep throughout the physique. The clots are commonest within the legs, per the Mayo Clinic, however can happen in different deep veins within the arms, pelvis and shoulders.
With deep vein thrombosis, the most important threat is that the clots can dislodge and journey by way of the bloodstream. A pulmonary embolism, which is extra harmful, can happen when a clot will get caught within the lungs and blocks blood circulate.
Deep vein thrombosis is commonest in people who find themselves older or who don’t train a lot. Clearly, that isn’t the case with the 21-year-old Wembanyama. However the situation can happen with out typical threat elements. A facet impact is ache and swelling within the affected space, which is commonly how the clot is found.
Blood thinners might help deal with the situation, nevertheless it takes time for the clot to dissolve. Wembanyama will doubtless miss a number of months, or longer, whereas recovering.
Different athletes who’ve suffered from comparable situations
Blood clots, together with deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary emboli, aren’t unusual within the sports activities world, particularly within the NBA. In recent times, a number of basketball gamers have been identified with comparable situations and have missed time because of this.
These medical histories have affected gamers in several methods. Some gamers have returned to the sport with no points; others have had their careers lower brief.
Listed here are some latest athletes with comparable situations:
Damian Lillard
The Milwaukee Bucks’ star level guard was identified with a deep vein thrombosis in his proper calf on March 25 with 11 video games remaining within the common season and the group battling the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers for a better playoff seed.
Lillard, 34, was sidelined indefinitely after occurring blood thinning medicine and would endure testing commonly. The Bucks mentioned in an announcement that docs mentioned his situation was unlikely to happen once more. Lillard himself mentioned that he anticipated to maneuver previous this and proceed his profession. He was initially identified with a calf pressure.
Victor Wembanyama
A blood clot was found in Wembanyama’s proper shoulder after he complained of weak point in his proper arm throughout All-Star weekend. Wembanyama had been experiencing discomfort within the days earlier than the break, and the Spurs dominated him out for the rest of the season whereas he will get therapy.
The Spurs have remained optimistic Wembanyama can be prepared for the beginning of subsequent season and will not have long-term issues.
Brandon Ingram
Ingram and Wembanyama have probably the most in widespread by way of medical historical past. Like Wembanyama, Ingram was identified with deep vein thrombosis in his proper shoulder in March 2019 and missed the remainder of the 2018-19 season. The ahead was 22 years previous on the time.
However the situation didn’t cease Ingram’s development within the league. A couple of months after being identified, Ingram was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans, the place he put up an enormous 2019-20 season, posting career-high averages in factors, rebounds, assists and steals. Ingram earned his solely All-Star nod that 12 months and was named the NBA’s Most Improved Participant on the finish of the 2020 common season.
Chris Bosh
Two-time NBA champion and 11-time All-Star Chris Bosh is without doubt one of the better-known examples of how blood clots can have an effect on a profession. Bosh, who struggled with blood clots all through the ultimate years of his profession, formally retirement from the NBA in 2019, greater than three years after taking part in his remaining recreation on the age of 31.
Throughout his tenure with the Miami Warmth, Bosh missed the second half of the 2015 season after a blood clot migrated to his lungs and received one other clot in his leg the next 12 months. (Bosh’s first blood clot was identified 10 years, virtually to the day, earlier than Wembanyama’s was introduced.)
The recurring medical challenge resulted in physicians and the Warmth pressuring Bosh into sitting out for the 12 months. After Bosh failed a bodily and missed the 2016-2017 season, the NBA dominated that the situation was a career-ending sickness.
Miami finally waived the All-Star in 2017, pledging to retire Bosh’s jersey. The Warmth made good on that promise two years later, retiring Bosh’s No. 1 in an emotional ceremony in 2019. A month prior, Bosh had formally retired from the NBA, regardless of having tried a number of comebacks within the intervening years.
Ausar Thompson
One other younger participant, Detroit Pistons ahead Ausar Thompson, has additionally struggled with blood clots previously 12 months. Thompson, 22, was identified with a blood clot in March 2024, lacking eight months because of the difficulty.
Thompson returned to the court docket in November after being medically cleared. Since returning, he is turn into the Pistons’ beginning small ahead, averaging 9.3 factors, 5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals per recreation in 33 video games (22 begins).
Anderson Varejão
Brazilian ahead Anderson Varejão additionally suffered from life-threatening blood clots. In January 2013, Varejão, then 30 years previous and taking part in for the Cleveland Cavaliers, was hospitalized with a blood clot in his left lung.
The pulmonary embolism was found after Varejão instructed the Cavaliers’ medical employees that he was feeling again and chest ache. After a CT scan revealed the blood clot, Varejão went rapidly into surgical procedure. A month afterward, Varejão instructed Yahoo Sports activities that he was “very lucky” that the clot was found and eliminated earlier than inflicting any main hurt.
Varejão missed the remainder of the 2012-2013 season however returned to the court docket the next 12 months. He performed for a couple of extra seasons within the NBA and Europe earlier than retiring from professional basketball in 2021.
Mirza Teletović
Bosnian ahead Mirza Teletović’s comparatively brief NBA profession was additionally affected by blood clots. Teletović, who received his begin in European leagues, joined the Brooklyn Nets in 2012.
In January 2015, Teletović was hospitalized with shortness of breath and later identified with bilateral pulmonary embolus, with a number of blood clots in his lungs. Teletović went on blood thinners and returned to the court docket the subsequent season with the Phoenix Suns, having signed with the group within the offseason.
However his situation later returned. In 2017, whereas taking part in with the Milwaukee Bucks, Teletović was as soon as once more identified with pulmonary emboli in each lungs, and was waived by the Bucks a couple of months later. Teletović retired from the NBA in 2018 on the age of 33.
Serena Williams
Whereas not a basketball participant, tennis celebrity Serena Williams is successful story in the case of getting back from blood clots. Williams was first identified with a life-threatening pulmonary embolism in early 2011 and was hospitalized because of a number of blood clots in each lungs.
Williams returned to the court docket later that 12 months, reaching the ultimate of the U.S. Open. In 2012, she gained her fifth Wimbledon singles title and her first Olympic gold medal, finishing a profession Golden Slam.
In 2018, after giving delivery to her daughter Olympia, Williams suffered plenty of issues, together with one other pulmonary embolism that required a number of surgical procedures. However only a 12 months later, she returned to the highest 10 within the tennis standings. Williams retired from tennis a couple of years later, taking part in her remaining match in 2022.
