Victor Wembanyama concussion recovery timeline: How does NBA protocol work, when can he return for Spurs?

San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama suffered a concussion after falling and hitting his face on the court during Tuesday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The NBA has a regimented return-to-play protocol that will ultimately determine when it might be able to resume playing in teams’ first-round NBA playoff series.

Wembanyama was at the Spurs’ training facility on Wednesday, and ESPN reported that he is “hopeful” to travel to Portland on Thursday. Once a player is diagnosed with a concussion, he or she is not allowed to resume playing for at least 48 hours. The third game of the series is Friday, which falls outside that window, but Wembanyama will have to go through a rigorous series of tests and evaluations before being able to play.

Announcement

NBA teams use a baseline neurological evaluation given to players before the season to evaluate their recovery during the official concussion protocol.

What’s the next step?

Under the NBA’s concussion protocol, players can gradually resume physical activity 24 hours after their concussion is diagnosed, as long as the activity does not worsen symptoms. Until then, they are encouraged to limit their use of electronic devices, including video games, and focus on their overall health and nutrition. They are also encouraged not to spend time around large groups of people.

Permission Requirements

In order to resume playing, players must meet a number of requirements in the protocol. The NBA defines them as:

Announcement

• “At rest he shows no symptoms related to concussion

• He was evaluated by a doctor with training and experience in managing concussions

• He has successfully completed the effort process for returning to NBA participation

• A team doctor discussed the process and decision to return to participation with the NBA Concussion Program Director. “

According to the NBA, the final decision on return to participation rests with the player’s team doctor.

Steps back to participation

A player may not begin the effort process of returning to participation until at least 24 hours have passed from the time of injury. The process involves several steps. Each phase of the effort must be monitored by the team’s medical staff. Players must be symptom-free to advance to the next phase after undergoing a neurological exam.

The steps:

• Stationary bike: low-intensity aerobic activity without resistance

• Jogging: light cardiovascular effort

• Agility work: plus basketball-specific movement drills

• Non-contact team exercises: complete practical activity, excluding physical contact

If the player experiences symptoms, they must return to the symptom-free phase and start again. The NBA has no set time frame to complete the entire process.