Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA’s defensive player of the year on Monday, becoming the first unanimous winner in the award’s 43-year history. France international Wembanyama, a generational talent who has helped transform San Antonio into title contenders, earned a perfect 100 votes in the media ballot. Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren came in second in the voting, with Detroit’s Ausar Thompson ranked third.
The win marked another milestone in the meteoric rise of Wembanyama, who at 22 is the youngest player in history to win the honor. “I’m super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first-ever unanimous,” Wembanyama told NBC Sports Network following the award. The 7ft 4in (2.24m) Frenchman has been billed as the future face of the NBA ever since he landed in the league after being chosen by San Antonio with the top overall pick in the 2023 Draft.
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Mixing prodigious defense with a potent offense, Wembanyama has excelled again this season and is regarded as one of the front-runners for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. Wembanyama led the league in blocks per game (3.08) for a third straight season and helped lead the Spurs to the No.3 ranking in defensive ratings. On Sunday, Wembanyama lit up the playoffs in his first postseason game, scoring 35 points to go with five rebounds and two blocks as San Antonio defeated the Portland Trail Blazers.
German basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki told AFP in an interview on Monday ahead of his induction to the FIBA Hall of Fame that Wembanyama was “changing the game as we speak.” “I’ve never seen anything like it,” the 2007 NBA MVP told AFP when asked about Wembanyama. “His defense is so good that he changes the game just by being on the court and taking away some of the layups and twos that other teams would usually take.”
Wembanyama insisted on Monday that he owed his success to the work of his teammates and the Spurs coaching staff. “We often overlook the team aspect,” Wembanyama said. “I’m sitting here. I happen to be the guy who’s put in the spotlight, but I am part of a system, and I couldn’t get this award, and I couldn’t do what I do if it wasn’t for my teammates …and my coaching staff.”
© 2024 AFP
