[Weiss] Victor Wembanyama becomes the first-ever unanimous DPOY in NBA history. Opponents shot just 40.7 percent from the field against him and 8.7 percentage points worse than average when he was the closest defender.
Victor Wembanyama was asked Monday if he would be surprised if he would not soon become the NBA’s first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner.
“Yes, I would,” he said.
He was not surprised Monday evening.
The 7-foot-4 San Antonio Spurs big man has won the NBA’s 2026 Defensive Player of the Year award, earning all 100 first-place votes from a panel of select media members. The 22-year-old beat out Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson to become the youngest player to win the award since it was first introduced for the 1982-83 season.
He averaged a league-leading 3.1 blocks in 64 games this season, and the Spurs allowed 10.2 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. Opponents shot just 40.7 percent from the field against him and 8.7 percentage points worse than average when he was the closest defender, according to NBA stats, both the best in the league among those who contested at least 500 shots this season.