nba: spurs’ victor wembanyama is voted unanimously rookie of the year.

On Monday, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was unanimously elected NBA Rookie of the Year.

The French star got all 99 first-place votes from a media panel, joining Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns as the award’s unanimous winners.

Chet Holmgren, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s center, finished second with 98 out of 99 votes.

“My goals were always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on,” Wembanyama said in an interview on TNT‘s playoff pregame show. “I knew in order to do this I had to be individually good on the court and dominant. So, it was a huge thing for me and a big thing to get. It’s always been really important and I’m glad it’s finally official.”

Wembanyama lived up to the expectations as the first overall pick in the 2023 draft. He averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocked shots, and 1.2 steals over 71 games. He had the most overall blocks in the league, with 254.

Wembanyama topped all NBA rookies in points, rebounds, and blocks, while also recording 43 double-doubles and two triple-doubles. On February 23, he became the youngest player in league history to post a 5×5 with 27 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five blocks, and five steals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Wembanyama became the only player in NBA history to record 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocked shots, and 100 3-pointers in a single season.

He is the first player from France to win the accolade and the Spurs’ third member, behind franchise legends Robinson and Tim Duncan.
Wembanyama complimented the Spurs and their support staff for keeping an eye out for him after moving from France to join the team.

“With no contest, it’s the best country in the world for an athlete,” Wembanyama remarked. “The culture, everything, the infrastructure, is designed for us to prosper. I’m actually in a bubble. As an NBA player, I understand that I have a very fortunate existence, and that many people look after me on a daily basis. “This award is also for them.”

In addition, votes were cast for Brandon Miller of Charlotte (86 total points, including one vote for second place), Jaime Jaquez Jr. of Miami (10 points), Brandin Podziemski of Golden State (four points), and Dereck Lively II of Dallas (one point).