Victor Wembanyama calls out 'very disappointing' NBA concussion protocol after missing time in Spurs-Blazers series

Wembanyama indicated that he was frustrated with the decision that he couldn't play in Game 3, less than 72 hours after he was concussed by a hard fall in Game 2.

"I’m not saying not playing was a good or bad decision. It was a decision. I’m not saying it was good or bad. But the way the situation was handled: very disappointing," Wembanyama said.

The 22-year-old didn't explain what in particular about the process that led to that decision frustrated him, but a return just 72 hours after suffering a concussion would have been highly unusual. The Athletic noted the median time missed in concussion protocol is seven days, with the average length of time more than nine days. A return isn't even possible within 48 hours of entering the protocol, but it technically could be possible in that 72-hour turnaround Wembanyama experienced.

Here's more to know about the NBA's concussion protocol.

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What is the NBA's concussion protocol?

The NBA's concussion protocol mandates that a player must avoid any basketball activities for 24 hours after a concussion and cannot return to full basketball activities for 48 hours, though the return-to-play process can begin as early as the 24-hour mark if the player is symptom-free.

Here's the return-to-play protocol, per the NBA:

"A player diagnosed with a concussion should be regularly monitored for 24 hours for the evolution of symptoms, and accordingly the player may not begin the return-to-participation exertion process until 24 hours after the time of injury. Initiation of the return-to-participation exertion process is determined by a team physician.

i. The return to participation process involves several steps of increasing exertion – from a stationary bike, to jogging, to agility work, to non-contact team drills.

ii. Each exertion stage must be directly monitored by a member of the team’s medical staff. With each step, a focused neurological examination is performed, and a player must be symptom free to move to the next step. If a player is not symptom free after a step, he stops until he is symptom free and begins again at the previous step of the process (i.e., the last step he passed without any symptoms).

iii. It's important to note that there is no timeframe to complete the process. Each injury and player is different and recovery time can vary in each case.

A player who had a concussion may not return to full participation without restrictions until:

i. He is without concussion-related symptoms at rest;

ii. He has been evaluated by a team physician (or another physician) with training and experience in the management of sports-related concussion;

iii. He has successfully completed the NBA return-to-participation exertion process (including clearance by a team physician (or another physician) to return to full participation without restrictions); and

iv. The Director of the NBA Concussion Program has confirmed that such clearance by a team physician (or another physician) is consistent with this Policy. If the Director agrees with the team physician’s determination, then the player may return to full participation without restrictions."

By all accounts, Wembanyama was able to move quickly through the process. He was hoping he had cleared every step in the protocol before Game 3, but the protocol calls for both a team doctor and the director of the NBA Concussion Program to clear a player before he can return to game action. That could be where the league became involved in the Game 3 decision for Wembanyama.

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