Victor Wembanyama sweeps 2026 NBA Player Award

San Antonio Spurs centre Victor Wembanyama has made history after being named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year with a unanimous vote.

The 7ft 4in French international secured all 100 first-place votes, becoming the first unanimous winner in the award’s 43-year history.

At 22, Wembanyama is also the youngest recipient of the honour since it was introduced in the 1982-83 season, further underlining his rapid rise in the league.

The Spurs star beat Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons to the award.

Wembanyama, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, has now led the league in blocks (3.1 per game) for three consecutive seasons. He also posted career highs this season, averaging 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and one steal per game, while earning All-Star honours for the second time.

“I’m super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first-ever unanimous winner,” Wembanyama said.

He becomes only the second San Antonio Spurs player to win the award within his first three seasons, following club legend David Robinson in 1991/92.

Wembanyama’s impact was pivotal as the Spurs finished the regular season with a 62-20 record and the third-ranked defence in the league, while he also remains a strong contender for the MVP award.

German great Dirk Nowitzki praised the young star’s defensive dominance, saying, “I’ve never seen anything like it.” His defence changes the game just by being on the court.”

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