Fans who flocked to American Airlines Center on Saturday to see rookie prodigy Victor Wembanyama in action were left disappointed when he was omitted from the San Antonio Spurs’ road game against the Dallas Mavericks. They will be even more upset by the nature of his last-minute injury.

“He stepped on a ball boy’s foot during warmups,” ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said. “After he was re-taped, Spurs made decision to sit him.” Wembanyama was initially limited in minutes due to ankle pain, but head coach Gregg Popovich and his staff chose to play it safe and let the French native heal.

The bizarre situation recalls Kevin Durant’s own ankle injury this past March after slipping on the floor during pregame warmups. He was out for ten games. Hopefully, the 19-year-old center’s timetable will not be affected by this mishap.

Wembanyama, who is tied for Rookie of the Year with Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren, is averaging a double-double of 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds. His 3.0 blocks and 1.4 steals per game demonstrate the two-way domination that evaluators coveted before he was taken first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft. Wembanyama is one of the few bright lights on a dreadful Spurs club that is 4-23.

Popovich should provide an update to fans following the game, which the Mavericks (16-12) presently lead at halftime. San Antonio has dropped three straight games after snapping an 18-game losing run. Apart from Victor Wembanyama, there is little reason to invest in this business right now, thus his health is critical.

These things happen, but that ball boy should wear a cap and sunglasses just to be safe. Alternatively, leave the building immediately.