Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA with immense expectations, and he delivered one of the most impressive rookie seasons in league history. On Monday, he was named NBA Rookie of the Year, securing all 99 first-place votes. Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, took second place, while last year’s No. 2 pick, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, finished third.
Wembanyama joins a prestigious list of players who have won the Rookie of the Year award unanimously in the last 40 years, including Ralph Sampson (1984), David Robinson (1990), Blake Griffin (2011), Damian Lillard (2013), and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016). He also becomes the third Spurs player to earn this honor, following Robinson and Tim Duncan (1998).
“My goal was to help my team improve and keep getting better as the season progressed,” Wembanyama said from San Antonio on TNT after receiving the award. “To do that, I knew I had to be a dominant player on the court. It’s a big achievement, and I’m glad it’s official.”
In his rookie season, Wembanyama played in 71 games, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. The last player to average 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks in a season was Shaquille O’Neal during his MVP campaign in 1999-2000. Wembanyama also became just the second rookie to lead the league in blocks since blocks were officially recorded in 1973-74, joining Manute Bol in 1985-86.
His impact was particularly noticeable on the defensive end. Wembanyama’s 250 blocks in a season put him in the same company as Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal, who achieved the feat in 1992-93. His 4.5 blocks per game after the All-Star break were the most by any player since Dikembe Mutombo in 1994. With 4.81 “stocks” (steals and blocks) per game, Wembanyama achieved the highest average since Ben Wallace in 2001-02, when he won Defensive Player of the Year.
These defensive feats have also earned Wembanyama a spot as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, alongside Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and Miami’s Bam Adebayo. Additionally, he has the chance to become the first rookie to make the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team later this week.
Despite his dominance on defense, Wembanyama’s offensive skills surprised many. He became the first player in NBA history to hit 250 blocks and 100 three-pointers in a single season. He also averaged 0.72 points per minute, the most by a rookie since Michael Jordan (minimum 1,000 minutes). He even recorded two triple-doubles, one with assists and another with blocks. His 16-point, 12-rebound, and 10-assist performance against Detroit on January 10 and his 27-point, 14-rebound, and 10-block game against Toronto on February 12 highlighted his versatility.
Additionally, Wembanyama achieved a rare 5×5 game with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 5 blocks, and 5 steals against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 23, becoming the youngest player to do so. He also had a career-high 40-point, 20-rebound game in an overtime thriller against the New York Knicks on March 29, joining the elite company of Hakeem Olajuwon and Anthony Davis as the only other players with such a feat, along with a 10-block game and a 5×5 game.
Despite Wembanyama’s individual success, the San Antonio Spurs finished with the same record as the previous season—22-60—after a late surge in their final 11 games. However, Wembanyama remains optimistic about the team’s long-term vision. “I wish we were in the playoffs, and I wish I didn’t lose 60 games,” he said at the end of the season. “But I trust my teammates and the project. My confidence was never shaken.”
