*This content was translated by AI.
'New Humanity' Victor Wembanyama (22, San Antonio Spurs) has rewritten NBA history. At 224cm, Wembanyama became the first-ever unanimous recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year award.
The official NBA channel announced on the 21st (Korean time) that Wembanyama was selected as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY).
At just 22 years old, Wembanyama became the youngest DPOY winner in history, sweeping all first-place votes from all 100 voters with voting rights. The closest previous unanimous case was Ben Wallace in the 2001–2002 season, who received 116 out of 120 votes, but votes were split among Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and others, preventing a record achievement.
Wembanyama fulfilled his own prophecy from his rookie season as Lee Beon (수상). During the 2023–2024 season, while Rudy Gobert was approaching his fourth award, Wembanyama declared, "Gobert deserves it this year and the odds are high, but this will be his last chance. After that, it will no longer be his turn."
In fact, Wembanyama scored a total of 500 points in this year's voting, decisively outpacing second-place Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City, 239 points) and third-place Ausar Thompson (Detroit, 60 points). Gobert finished with only 41 points.
Wembanyama, who missed 36 games due to shoulder injuries and other issues during the 2024–2025 season and thus did not qualify for the award, met the requirement of playing at least 65 games in the 2025–2026 season and officially began his pursuit of individual honors. This season, Wembanyama led the league in blocked shots for the second consecutive year with 197 blocks and also recorded 66 steals. Additionally, he ranked fourth in rebounds per game (11.5) and second in defensive rebounds (9.5), playing a key role in helping San Antonio achieve the league's second-best defensive efficiency rating (110.4).
According to the U.S. media outlet 'ESPN', teammate De'Aaron Fox praised Wembanyama, saying, "He makes even opponents hesitate to shoot." He added, "Opponents trying to drive inside see Wembanyama and immediately dribble back out or pass. Wembanyama not only brings dynamism to defense but completely changes the flow of the opposing team's offense."
In his remarks as Ban Ya-ma-neun (수상), Wembanyama said, "I am truly proud to be the first-ever unanimous winner," but also credited his teammates and coaching staff, stating, "While I am receiving attention, I could not have won this award without my teammates and the coaching staff."
Currently named among the final three MVP candidates alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Wembanyama is the first San Antonio Spurs player to win the Defensive Player of the Year award since Kawhi Leonard (2014–2015, 2015–2016 seasons Yeon Sok (수상)).
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*This content was translated by AI.
