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San Antonio Spurs prima large man, Victor Wembanyama, was unanimously named nan NBA’s Defensive Player of nan Year for nan 2025-26 season, and he did truthful successful historical fashion.
Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 phenom, became nan youngest subordinate to ever triumph nan prestigious grant astatine conscionable 22 years old. Even better, he is nan first to ever triumph nan grant unanimously, and for bully reason.
Wembanyama was a problem with, and without, nan shot successful his hands this season.
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San Antonio Spurs guardant Victor Wembanyama plays during nan 2nd half against nan Denver Nuggets astatine Ball Arena successful Denver, Colo., connected April 4, 2026. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
He earned each 100 first-place votes for nan award, pinch Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren finishing pinch 76 second-place votes. Detroit Pistons defender Ausar Thompson vanished successful 3rd spot erstwhile nan ballots were tallied.
The next-closest subordinate to getting a unanimously triumph for Defensive Player of nan Year was Ben Wallace during nan 2001-02 season, wherever he vanished 4 votes awkward successful nan 120-person panel.
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While Wembanyama is besides a finalist for nan league’s MVP award, this 1 successful peculiar is thing he’s been looking to adhd to his profession trophy collection.
Wembanyama was a rookie successful 2024 erstwhile Rudy Gobert, his chap French compatriot, won his 4th Defensive Player of nan Year award. However, Wembanyama, nan first wide prime by nan Spurs, said Gobert’s days arsenic nan champion defender successful nan convention would beryllium coming to an extremity astatine immoderate point.
He expected it to beryllium by his hand. And though he wasn’t capable to triumph grant past play aft only playing 36 games, Wembanyama made judge to travel done connected his connection this year.
"I cognize that Rudy has a very bully chance of winning it this year, and it would beryllium deserved," Wembanyama said astatine nan time, per ESPN. "Let him triumph it now, because aft that, it’s nary longer his turn."
Wembanyama’s prediction came existent aft he led nan NBA successful blocks pinch 197 connected nan season, marking nan 2nd consecutive twelvemonth he’s been atop that class connected nan league’s stat sheet. He besides notched 66 steals and vanished pinch a 110.4 protect rating, which was second-best successful nan NBA.
San Antonio Spurs guardant Victor Wembanyama plays during nan first half against nan Dallas Mavericks astatine Frost Bank Center successful San Antonio, Texas, connected Apr. 10, 2026. (Scott Wachter/Imagn Images)
"Everything that [he’s] achieved truthful acold has been earned and ne'er given," Spurs teammate Keldon Johnson said of Wembanyama. "He’s 1 of nan hardest workers I’ve ever been around. He takes his trade very earnestly and I consciousness for illustration this is conscionable a mini token of what’s to travel for Victor. He’s a typical subordinate connected nan tribunal and an moreover much typical personification disconnected nan court."
Of course, defending isn’t each astir forcing turnovers, arsenic Wembanyama utilized his gangly stature to haul successful nan second-most protect rebounds successful nan NBA (9.5), which was only down Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic. Jokic and Wembanyama subordinate nan Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander arsenic nan 3 MVP finalist, pinch nan second hoping to repetition aft rather nan 2024-25 campaign.
Wembanyama has developed into nan beingness connected some ends of nan tribunal nan Spurs ever envisioned erstwhile they won nan NBA Draft lottery. Spurs seasoned defender De’Aaron Fox knows that players won’t moreover sprout nan shot erstwhile they spot him successful beforehand of them.
Victor Wembanyama (1) of nan San Antonio Spurs stands connected nan tribunal during their crippled against nan Sacramento Kings astatine Golden 1 Center connected March 17, 2026 successful Sacramento, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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"You talk astir guys that alteration shots. He virtually negates guys moreover shooting nan ball," he said, via ESPN. "They’ll spot him successful location and dribble nan shot retired aliases footwear out. He changes nan full move of your defense, and he changes nan move of different team’s offense."
Wembanyama and nan Spurs besides sewage disconnected to a bully commencement successful their first travel to nan NBA Playoffs since nan 2018-19 season, taking down nan Portland Trail Blazers connected Sunday to unfastened their First Round bid pinch a win, 111-98. Wembanyama vanished nan crippled pinch a team-leading 35 points (13-of-21 shooting) pinch 5 rebounds, 1 assistance and 2 blocks.
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Scott Thompson is simply a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
