San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama’s season is likely over after he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right shoulder, a condition that will sideline one of the league’s brightest stars and is the second massive health-related hit for the Spurs in a matter of months.

Wembanyama is beginning treatment immediately and the Spurs are working under the expectation that the 7-foot-3 center from France will fully recover, said a person with knowledge of the situation who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because those details were not released publicly.

It may even be possible for Wembanyama — the NBA’s leading shot-blocker this season and a first-time All-Star — to play this summer for France in the European championships if he chooses, the person said.

Wembanyama’s condition — deep vein thrombosis — was diagnosed this week after he returned from the All-Star Game, the Spurs said Thursday. It is almost always treated with blood-thinning medication, and players in contact sports such as basketball have long been advised to avoid playing while using such medication because of the heightened chance of bleeding.

Wembanyama’s diagnosis comes about 3 1/2 months after Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke and was forced to take a leave from the sideline, with assistant coach Mitch Johnson serving as acting coach ever since. The Spurs have said Popovich’s condition is improving, but there is no timetable for his return to the bench.

Wembanyama was the league’s rookie of the year last season and the frontrunner to be defensive player of the year this season. He has already taken 403 3-pointers and blocked 176 shots this season — no player in NBA history has ever finished a season with those numbers.

He is averaging 24.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.8 blocks and 3.7 assists; the only other player to finish a season averaging all that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76.

Bucks’ Portis suspended for taking Tramadol

The NBA suspended Milwaukee forward Bobby Portis Jr. for 25 games without pay on Thursday because he tested positive for the painkiller Tramadol, a violation of the league’s anti-drug program.

Portis cannot play again until April 8 — the 79th game of Milwaukee’s 82-game regular-season schedule — at the earliest. His suspension began for Thursday’s game.

“I was dealing with an elbow injury and using an NBA-approved medication for pain and inflammation,” Portis said in a statement released by the team. “During that time, I made an honest mistake and took a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory pill that is not approved. I feel horrible and recognize that I’m responsible for what I put in my body.”

Portis took the painkiller “unintentionally,” said his agent, Mark Bartelstein. Portis thought he was taking Toradol, which is approved and he has taken before, Bartelstein said. Portis did not realize he was taking Tramadol — which was properly prescribed, but is on the NBA’s banned substance list.

NFL

Former Vikings punter Kluwe arrested for protest

Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe made national headlines more than a decade ago for his vocal support of same-sex marriage while playing for the Minnesota Vikings.

This week, the Orange County native garnered attention closer to home when he railed against a “MAGA” acrostic plaque that’s set to be placed outside the Huntington Beach Central Library in celebration of its 50th anniversary, saying the ideology is “profoundly corrupt, unmistakably anti-democracy and most importantly...explicitly a Nazi movement.”

“You may have replaced a swastika with a red hat, but that is what it is,” Kluwe, 43, told the council during Tuesday’s meeting. The chambers erupted in applause.

Then, in what Kluwe said was an act of “peaceful civil disobedience,” he took a few steps toward the council dais where he was immediately surrounded by police officers. His plan was to stand near the dais until he was removed, he said. The move landed him in city jail with a misdemeanor citation for disturbing an assembly, Kluwe told The Los Angeles Times in an interview Thursday.

Cowboys offensive guard Martin decides to retire

Zack Martin is retiring after a decorated career that included seven All-Pro seasons at right guard with the Dallas Cowboys, two people with knowledge of the decision said Thursday.

Martin informed Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones of his decision in a meeting Thursday, one of the people told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement was planned.

The 34-year-old Martin didn’t make it through his 11th and final season with the Cowboys because of an ankle injury that eventually required surgery. He said when he was shut down after 10 games that he wasn’t ready to make a decision on returning.

BRIEFLY

College basketball >> Sammy Opichka scored 23 points, Jo Langbehn added 21 but the St. Thomas women’s basketball team (14-12, 6-7 Summit) lost 91-82 at Kansas City on Thursday. Amber Scalia scored 18 points for the Tommies, who had won three straight games.

PGA >> Six of the seven PGA Tour events this year had international winners, and the Mexico Open kept up with trend Thursday when Jeremy Paul of Germany, Kris Ventura of Norway and Harry Hall of England shared the lead at 7-under 64.

LPGA >> Akie Iwai made the best of a sponsor’s invite to shoot a 10-under 62 and lead by three strokes after the first round of the LPGA’s Thailand tournament at Siam Country Club’s Pattaya Old Course.

Soccer >> Catarina Macario and Ally Sentnor scored goals and the United States beat Colombia 2-0 in the SheBelieves Cup opener for both teams on Thursday night.

Soccer >> Former Spanish soccer boss Luis Rubiales was found guilty Thursday of sexually assaulting player Jenni Hermoso for kissing her after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, an incident that overshadowed Spain’s first world title in women’s soccer and sparked debate about sexism in the sport.

NBA >> The Dallas Mavericks announced that recently acquired star Anthony Davis will be out at least two more weeks but is making “good progress” in recovery from a groin injury sustained in his Dallas debut.

— From news services