Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season, in what could be just the first of many more awards to come in his career.
Wembanyama won the Defensive Player of the Year award in historic fashion, setting multiple records and hitting several milestones along the way in just his third NBA season for the Spurs.
As San Antonio prepares for Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers, the league announced more news about Wembanyama and his historic Defensive Player of the Year award win.
NBA Announces Historic Victor Wembanyama DPOY News
GettySAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – MARCH 19: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs is surrounded by teammates after he scored the game-winning basket against the Phoenix Suns at Frost Bank Center on March 19, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
Along with becoming both the youngest and first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year winner in NBA history, Wembanyama joined elite history by winning the award.
He is now one of two players who have won the award within their first three seasons in the league, as Spurs legend David Robinson accomplished that feat in the 1991-92 season, as the NBA announced.
“Victor Wembanyama is the youngest player to win the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award,” the NBA wrote on X. “He is also the first player to win the award within his first three seasons since David Robinson (1991-92 with San Antonio).”
Additonally, in what might be more astounding, Wembanyama joins Robinson and Michael Jordan as one of just three players in NBA history to win both the Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards.
“Wembanyama joins Robinson and Michael Jordan as the only players to win both Rookie of the Year and DPOY,” Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press wrote, per NBA.com.
Wembanyama has now led the NBA in blocks in three straight seasons, joining Dikembe Mutombo and Marcus Camby as the only players to hit that mark.
It was a historic regular season for Wembanyama for the Spurs on the defensive end of the floor, and while he’s also up for the MVP award this season, for which he is not favored to win, it’s fair to say the 2025-26 DPOY award is just one of many trophies the Frenchman will win when his career is done.
San Antonio Spurs Prep For Game 2 Vs Blazers After Historic Wemby Game 1
While Wembanyama winning Defensive Player of the Year in historic fashion has been the leading headline for the Spurs, they are in the midst of a first round playoff series against the Trail Blazers.
San Antonio won Game 1 by way of Wembanyama’s 35 points, the most in franchise history in a playoff debut.
“There’s an approach that we all have in terms of expectation of a heightened level of preparation, detail, nuance, competitiveness, physicality, everything,” head coach Mitch Johnson said of the 22-year-old star. “There’s a real desire for that young man to participate in that. This was his first playoff game, and he has lofty expectations and goals for himself.”
The Spurs won 111-98 and led most of the way, but for a team with little collective playoff experience, Game 2 against Portland remains a tough test.
However, after his strong playoff debut, Jared Weiss of The Athletic believes Wembanyama will once again live up to the moment, and put together yet another leading performance.
“Wembanyama’s playoff debut started out as well as he could have hoped,” he wrote. “Wembanyama sure looks ready to lead them on a run at the title.”
Throughout the entire season, the Spurs’ strong supporting cast has been on full display, but like in Game 1, and what is expected for Game 2, San Antonio’s hopes rely heavily on the newly-crowned Defensive Player of the Year.
The Spurs vs Blazers Game 2 tips off on Tuesday, April 21, at 7 pm CST and live on NBC and Peacock.
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