The NBA Defensive Player of the Year award has been around since 1983, and in that time, no player has ever received 100 percent of the first-place votes for the award. Victor Wembanyama is now the first.
The San Antonio Spurs superstar center received 100 first-place votes out of a possible 100 to unanimously win the prestigious award, the NBA announced on Monday.
Wembanyama, a frontrunner for Most Valuable Player, led the league in blocks for the third straight season in becoming the youngest player to ever earn the award.
The two-time All-Star also averaged career highs in points and rebounds while chipping in a steal per game for a Spurs team that compiled the second-best record in the league and also ranked No. 3 in the league in defensive rating.
Wembanyama secured 500 points in the voting and joined fellow Spur legend David Robinson in becoming the only two players since 1991-92 to win the award within their first three seasons. That continues a remarkable tradition: a league-high four different Spurs players have now won the award a combined five times: Alvin Robertson, Robinson, Kawhi Leonard and Wembanyama.
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren finished second in the voting with 239 points, while the Detroit Pistons’ Ausar Thompson finished third with 60 points. The Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert and the Raptors’ Scottie Barnes rounded out the top five.
“He changes the game so much,” Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter marveled Sunday after Wembanyama’s dominant effort in San Antonio’s playoff-opening 111-98 victory over Portland. Wembanyama set a franchise record with 35 points in his playoff debut, adding two blocks on the defensive end for good measure.