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Wembanyama dominates NBA awards with historic win
San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama became the first unanimous winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award on Tuesday, securing all 100 first-place votes in a landmark achievement.
Record-breaking season for 22-year-old phenom
The 7-foot-4 French international, drafted first overall in 2023, led the league in blocks for the third consecutive season with an average of 3.1 per game. Wembanyama also posted career highs in scoring (25.0 points) and rebounding (11.5), while contributing one steal per game.
At 22, he is the youngest player to ever win the award and only the second to claim it within their first three seasons, following Spurs legend David Robinson in 1991-92.
Reaction to historic achievement
"I'm super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first ever unanimous [winner]."
Victor Wembanyama, speaking to NBC
German NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki praised Wembanyama's impact, telling AFP: "I've never seen anything like it. His defense is so good that he changes the game just by being on the court and taking away some of the lay-ups and twos that other teams would usually take."
Voting breakdown
Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren finished second in the voting with 239 points (76 second-place votes), while Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson took third place with 60 points (nine second-place votes).
Playoff performances and team success
Wembanyama, also in contention for the Most Valuable Player award, helped the Spurs secure the second-best regular-season record (62-20), with their defense ranked third overall.
In his playoff debut on Sunday, he scored a game-high 35 points as San Antonio defeated Portland. The postseason continued Monday with several key matchups:
- Cleveland Cavaliers took a 2-0 lead in their series against the Toronto Raptors, with Donovan Mitchell (30 points) and James Harden (28) leading the charge.
- Minnesota Timberwolves rallied from 19 points down to beat the Denver Nuggets 119-114, tying their series at 1-1 behind Anthony Edwards' 30 points and 10 rebounds.
- Atlanta Hawks secured a 107-106 road win over the New York Knicks to level their series, with CJ McCollum scoring 32 points.
- Los Angeles Lakers made a winning start to their playoff campaign.
Awards eligibility updates
Separately, Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham were declared eligible for NBA awards following a successful appeal.
