Washington Wizards forward Cam Whitmore is the latest NBA player to be sidelined with deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
The Wizards announced his condition Tuesday. Whittemore missed two games with shoulder soreness. Further evaluation of the injury revealed his condition. Whittemore will now be sidelined indefinitely.
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Whitmore, 21, is entering his third season in the NBA after being selected by the Houston Rockets with the 20th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He is a rotation player for the Wizards, coming off the bench, averaging 9.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.
What is deep vein thrombosis?
DVT is an increasingly common condition among NBA players. This condition poses serious health risks and can have a significant impact on an athlete’s career and opportunities to compete.
DVT occurs when a blood clot forms in a deep vein, usually in the leg. But it can happen elsewhere on the body, and in this case, it was on Whittemore’s right shoulder, according to a statement from the Wizards.
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The most serious risk with this condition is that a blood clot travels into the lungs from where it formed and may become lodged in the arteries. This condition is called a pulmonary embolism and can be life-threatening.
Controlling the condition and preventing worsening of the outcome become the top priority after diagnosis. Blood-thinning medications are a common form of treatment. The Wizards have not announced whether Whittemore will take blood thinners.
Other NBA players suffer from deep vein thrombosis
Whitmore joins a growing list of NBA players who have experienced deep vein thrombosis (DVT), most recently including Damian Lillard and Victor Wembanyama.
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Lillard was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in March when a blood clot formed in his right calf. He returned to the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs in late April and surprisingly quickly returned to the court from his diagnosis.
He tore his left Achilles tendon in the first round against the Indiana Pacers. It’s unclear how Lillard’s deep vein thrombosis and rehab impacted the Achilles tendon tear he suffered in his other leg.
Wembanyama was diagnosed with DVT in his right shoulder in February. The San Antonio Spurs superstar does not play again in the 2024-25 season. He returned to the court at the start of the season and has maintained a high level of play without missing time due to injuries unrelated to DVT.
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Osar Thompson in 2024, Brandon Ingram in 2019, and Chris Bosh in 2015 are all notable NBA players who have experienced DVT. Bosh’s Hall of Fame career was cut short when he was 31 when a blood clot entered his lung.
