San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama became the first unanimous winner of the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.
The 22-year-old is also now the youngest player to win the award since its introduction for the 1982-83 season.
Selected for the award by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, Wembanyama beat out Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson for the honor.
Wembanyama led the NBA in blocks for the third straight season (3.1), as well as topped the league in defensive win shares (five) and defensive rating (101). He also placed second in defensive rebounds (9.5) and fourth in overall rebounds (11.5).
The two-time All-Star anchored the league’s third-best defense (111.3), a number that improved dramatically to a league-best 107.7 defensive rating with him on the court. Beyond the statistical returns, Wembanyama also displayed a penchant for switching to defend guards, using his 8-foot wingspan to deny perimeter opportunities.
The league also named Wembanyama as one of three finalists for the MVP award, joining last year’s selection, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and three-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
Wembanyama is the fourth Spurs player to win Defensive Player of the Year. He joins Alvin Robertson (1985-86), David Robinson (1991-92), and Kawhi Leonard, who won in back-to-back seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16.
The Frenchman also becomes the fifth European-born player to earn the award, joining Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Rudy Gobert, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Seven of the last 14 winners have been European.
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