Victor Wembanyama is a unanimous selection as the NBA’s defensive player of the year

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) celebrates a score against the Portland Trail Blazers during the second half in Game 1 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in San Antonio, Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) 2026-04-20T22:25:04Z There had never been a unanimous NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Until now. Victor Wembanyama — as expected — was announced Monday as the league’s top defensive player. The San Antonio center was second in the voting for DPOY as a rookie, was the favorite last season until a medical condition ended his season prematurely, then left no doubt this year. At 22, he’s the youngest winner of the award. “The real struggle might have been getting to 65 games,” Wembanyama said — referring to the number he needed for award eligibility — on NBC Sports Network. “But I’m super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first-ever unanimous.” Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren was second and Detroit’s Ausar Thompson was third after both helped their teams secure No. 1 seeds for the playoffs. But this was never in doubt, not after the 7-foot-4 — or maybe taller — Wembanyama led the NBA in blocked shots for a third consecutive season and generally terrorized opponents any time they wanted to score. “Best player in the world,” Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. The NBA will continue its award announcements Tuesday when the Clutch Player of the Year — either Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Denver’s Jamal Murray — is revealed. Wembanyama is also a finalist for MVP, with the winner of that trophy not set to be revealed until next week at the earliest. First, the league got this announcement out of the way. And Wembanyama’s win was accompanied by a slew of milestones. (