San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was forced to sit out their game against the Dallas Mavericks Saturday night after sustaining an injury during warmups.
The 19-year-old phenomenon suffered a freak injury before the game could even begin, which sidelined him for the matchup against Luka Doncic and co.
As the French sensation was warming up he went up to score a basket and then stepped back from the court but as he did so he caught the ball boy stood behind the net and trod on his foot.
The rookie returned to the locker room to get the ankle taped and wanted to play, but the Spurs held him out for precautionary reasons.
The night went from bad to worse for the Spurs as the Mavericks went on to beat them 144-119.
Victor Wembanyama stepped on a ball boy’s foot and sprained his ankle during warmups
The 19-year-old phenomenon was forced to sit out the San Antonio Spurs’ game Saturday
It is currently unclear if Wembanyama will return for San Antonio’s game against the Utah Jazz on December 26.
It was the second time in three games Wembanyama was inactive. The reason was right ankle soreness four nights earlier at Milwaukee.
The nearly 7-foot-4 Wembanyama played 22 minutes, one off his season low, in a loss at Chicago on Thursday night.
The Spurs entered the Dallas game on a 1-21 stretch, with three consecutive losses since setting a franchise record for a losing streak for the second season in a row, an 18-game skid.
Wembanyama is averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds as the No. 1 overall pick. He made his NBA debut at home against the Mavericks in October.
Doncic, who had 12 rebounds and recorded his 10th assist just before leaving the game for good at the end of the third quarter, had his 36th 30-point triple-double, one shy of LeBron James for third on the career list.
Jeremy Sochan had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Spurs, who lost their fourth straight since stopping an 18-game losing streak, which set a franchise record for the second consecutive season.
Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 23 points, and Dante Exum added 20 for Dallas.
Luka Doncic had his 36th 30-point triple-double as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Spurs
The Mavs ended a three-game losing streak a night after Doncic and All-Star sidekick Kyrie Irving were out in a 26-point loss at Houston. Doncic had a quadriceps strain, and Irving has now missed eight consecutive games with a right heel bruise. Dallas is 4-4 in those games.
Doncic, who is 11 points shy of 10,000 for his career in the 24-year-old’s sixth season, was 13 of 27 from the field, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range.
It was his sixth triple-double of the season three nights after Doncic thought he had one with 28 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. A rebound was taken away in the official final stats.
That 120-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers is the only game out of the past 12 Doncic has played that the four-time All-Star didn’t score at least 30.
GET NEWS MORE HERE