French professional basketball player Victor Wembanyama has become the first player to win the NBA best defender of the year award unanimously.
All 100 judges on the panel awarded the San Antonio Spurs centre their first-place vote, making him the unanimous winner.
"Wemby" – as he is nicknamed – boasted averages of 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and three blocks per game this season.
Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder was second with 239 points and Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons was third with 60 points.
At 22 years and three months, Wembanyama also becomes the youngest player to claim the defender of the year trophy in its 43-year history.
Wembanyama told NBC Sports Network: "I'm super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first-ever unanimous winner."
It is Wembanyama's second unanimous win. In 2024, the Frenchman swept the board in the voting for the rookie of the year prize.
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"I've had the chance to have great coaches over my career who have taught me great habits on defence," Wembanyama said.
"We often overlook the team aspect," Wembanyama added. "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."
On Monday, Wembanyama became the first Frenchman to be placed on the shortlist for the NBA most valuable player (MVP) award.
He will compete for one of the most prestigious awards in the sport with the 2025 winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, who won it in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Other winners in the 70-year history of the honour include Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Larry Bird. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with six crowns between 1971 and 1980.
French teenage basketball sensation Wembanyama wins his Spurs
Wembanyama's success came as the Spurs prepared for the second game on Wednesday night of their first round clash against the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Western Conference play-offs.
On Sunday, Wembanyama scored 35 points to power the Spurs to a 111-98 victory over Portland in the opening game in San Antonio in the best-of-seven series.
The defender of the year award and the nomination for MVP of the season vindicate the hype around Wembanyama's move in 2023 to the Texas-based Spurs from the French division one outfit Metropolitans 92 where he had dominated the season's charts in points scored, rebounds and blocked shots.
He was described as a generational talent and one of the sport's most dazzling prospects since LeBron James in 2003.
Wembanyama, at two metres 21 centimetres, boasts the height of a centre (defender) as well as the shooting and silky ball-handling skills of a guard (attacker).
Stake in boyhood club
In March, Wembanyama confirmed he had bought a minority stake in his boyhood club Nanterre 92.
He played for the outfit between the ages of 10 and 17 before leaving in June 2021 to join French top-flight side ASVEL in Lyon in south-eastern France.
“Nanterre shaped me as a player and as a man,” Wembanyama said. “I want to help make it a benchmark club that is ambitious, inclusive and true to its values in the long term.”
