Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs has secured the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in a unanimous decision, the league announced on Monday. The French sensation dominated his debut season, leading all first-year players in scoring, rebounds, and blocks.
As the top overall pick in the previous year’s NBA Draft, Wembanyama posted impressive stats with averages of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game.
The NBA disclosed that Wembanyama received all 99 first-place votes from a panel of media members, marking the first unanimous selection for Rookie of the Year since Karl-Anthony Towns in the 2015-16 season.
At just 20 years old, Wembanyama becomes the first French player to capture the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. He joins the esteemed company of David Robinson (1989-90) and Tim Duncan (1997-98) as the third Spurs player to earn this prestigious honor.
Remarkably, Wembanyama is only the second rookie in NBA history to lead all players in blocks per game during a season, a feat previously achieved by Manute Bol in the 1985-86 season.
In addition to this accolade, Wembanyama has emerged as one of the top contenders for the Defensive Player of the Year award, alongside Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and Miami’s Bam Adebayo. The winner of this award will be announced on Tuesday.
