VICTOR Wembanyama made history on Monday (Tuesday, April 21, 2026, PH time), becoming the first unanimous winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award, the Associated Press reported.
The San Antonio Spurs center, widely expected to claim the honor, left no doubt after finishing second in the voting as a rookie and missing out last season due to a medical condition that cut his campaign short.
At 22, Wembanyama is the youngest recipient of the award.
“The real struggle might have been getting to 65 games,” Wembanyama said on NBC Sports Network, referring to the eligibility requirement. “But I’m super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first-ever unanimous.”
Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder finished second, while Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons placed third after both helped their teams secure No. 1 seeds in the playoffs.
Still, the outcome was never in doubt. The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama — possibly even taller — led the league in blocked shots for a third consecutive season and consistently disrupted opposing offenses.
“Best player in the world,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said.
The NBA will continue announcing major awards on Tuesday (Wednesday in PH), when the Clutch Player of the Year — featuring finalists Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder, and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets — will be revealed. Wembanyama is also a finalist for the Most Valuable Player award, with the winner expected to be announced next week.
His DPOY victory came with several milestones.
Wembanyama is the youngest player to win the award, with all previous winners being at least 23 years old. He will not turn 23 until January.
The Spurs also became the first franchise to have four different players win the award since it was first handed out in the 1982-83 season. The others were Alvin Robertson (1986), David Robinson (1992), and Kawhi Leonard (2015 and 2016).
Wembanyama also joined Robinson and Michael Jordan as the only players to win both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
“I’ve had the chance to have great coaches over my career who have taught me great habits on defense,” Wembanyama said.
Perhaps the most notable achievement was the unanimity of the vote.
Stephen Curry was a unanimous MVP in 2016, and in the 10 seasons since, there have been only two instances of a player receiving 100 percent of first-place votes for any major NBA award.
Both instances belong to Wembanyama — first as Rookie of the Year in 2024, and now as Defensive Player of the Year.
No player in at least the past 50 seasons — and possibly ever — has won two major individual NBA awards unanimously, though complete voting records from earlier eras are not fully available.
In total, Wembanyama’s win marked the 10th known unanimous selection across major NBA awards, which include MVP, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Coach of the Year. Notably, legends such as LeBron James and Jordan never achieved unanimous selection for a major award.
Holmgren and Thompson both received votes for the first time. A panel of reporters and broadcasters who cover the league submitted ballots ranking their top three candidates before the start of the playoffs.
Four-time winner Rudy Gobert of the Timberwolves finished fourth, followed by Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors, Derrick White of the Boston Celtics, Cason Wallace of the Thunder, Amen Thompson of the Houston Rockets, Dyson Daniels of the Hawks, and OG Anunoby of the Knicks.
There was a three-way tie for 11th place between Jalen Duren of the Pistons, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors — the 2017 winner — and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.
Wembanyama’s MVP finalist status — alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and three-time winner Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets — all but ensures a spot on the All-NBA First Team. His Defensive Player of the Year win also guarantees him a place on the All-Defensive Team, giving the French standout at least four honors this awards season.
“We often overlook the team aspect,” Wembanyama said. “I’m sitting here. 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.” / LBG