San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama was named as the NBA’s defensive player of the year on Monday night, becoming the first player in league history to win the award unanimously.
“I know that Rudy (Gobert) has a very good chance of winning it this year, and it would be deserved,” Wembanyama said in 2024, shortly after Gobert won the award for the fourth time in his career. “Let him win it now, because after that, it’s no longer his turn.”
“The real struggle might have been getting to 65 games,” Wembanyama said, referencing the 65-game threshold required to be eligible for end-of-season awards under the current labor deal, according to ESPN. “But I’m super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first-ever unanimous.”
The 7’4″ Frenchman made sure to give his teammates credit for their role in his defensive excellence.
“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.”
“He deters people from even shooting the ball,” De’Aaron Fox, his teammate in San Antonio, said. “You talk about guys that change shots. He literally negates guys even shooting the ball. They’ll see him in there and dribble the ball out or kick out. He changes the whole dynamic of your defense, and he changes the dynamic of other team’s offense.”
Wemby will look to show why he won the award unanimously in Tuesday’s Game 2 against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Spurs are up 1-0 in the series.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.