Victor Wembanyama named NBA Defensive Player of the Year award as first ever unanimous winner

Victor Wembanyama was a virtual lock to win Defensive Player of the Year in 2024-25 before a blood clot cut his season short at 46 games.

There were no shortcomings this season. The NBA announced on Monday that Wembanyama won the 2025-26 Defensive Player of the Year award, the first of his three-year NBA career.

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He was the first unanimous winner of the award in NBA history. Wembanyama beat out fellow finalists Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson to secure the hardware.

The win marks Wembanyama’s second top-two finish in voting for DPOY. He finished second to Rudy Gobert during his 2023-24 Rookie of the Year campaign.

“I’m super proud to be the first ever unanimous [winner],” Wembanyama told NBC Sports after winning the award. … “My shot-blocking is something I’ve been working on forever. It’s probably the area of my game where I feel most comfortable at.”

How many DPOYs will Wemby win?

If projections hold true, the DPOY award will be the first of many for the transcendent San Antonio Spurs center, who has no equal as a defender in basketball. Thanks in part to his defensive prowess, Wembanyama is also an MVP finalist alongside Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

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Wembanyma’s game is unprecedented on multiple fronts. At 7-foot-4 with handles, a face-up game and a 3-point shot in addition to post moves, Wembanyama is next to impossible to guard. But it’s arguably his defense that sets him apart above all else.

Opposing players with the ball have to account for Wembanyama and his 8-foot wingspan, whether attacking the rim, pulling up from the mid-range or even on the perimeter.

Victor Wembanyama’s 3.1 blocks per game were 1.2 more than anybody else in the NBA.

(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS)

Nobody’s close to Wemby in blocked shots

Wembanyama led the league in blocks per game (3.1) for the third time in his three NBA seasons. He altered countless others as the league’s premier rim protector. He averaged over a block per game more than the league’s second-place finisher, fellow DPOY finalist Holmgren (1.9 blocks per game).

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Wembanyama’s…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/breaking-news/article/victor-wembanyama-named-nba-defensive-player-of-the-year-award-as-first-ever-unanimous-winner-221739676.html

Author : Jason Owens

Publish date : 2026-04-20 22:17:00

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