Victor Wembanyama was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year Monday, April 20 and made history twice: becoming the first unanimous pick for the award and the youngest winner.
Wembanyama, 22 years 106 days, is also the first winner under 23 years old to win the award. The previous youngest winner of DPOY was Dwight Howard, who was 23 years, 128 days when he won the award for the 2008-09 season as a member of the Orlando Magic.
He is the fourth San Antonio Spurs player to be named Defensive Player of the Year, joining Alvin Robertson, David Robinson and Kawhi Leonard
Now, despite his youth, Wembanyama finally adds one of the biggest NBA awards to his trophy case.
That might sound a little impatient, given that 2025-26 was only his third year in the league. But Wemby's had a legitimate argument as one of, if not the best defender in the NBA ever since his rookie season when he averaged an unreal 3.6 blocks per game and finished second in voting behind his fellow countryman Rudy Gobert. He probably would've had a shot at the award in 2024-25 too, if it wasn't for blood clots that cut his season short after just 46 games.
