Wembanyama: unanimous DPOY

Victor Wembanyama won the 2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award on Monday, and every first-place vote went to him. (nba.com) The San Antonio Spurs center is 22, making him the youngest winner since the award began in 1982-83. A global media panel of 100 voters selected him. (nba.com) Defensive Player of the Year goes to the league’s top regular-season defender, usually a rim protector or perimeter stopper who changes how offenses attack. Wembanyama led the NBA in blocked shots for a third straight season and finished 2025-26 with 197 blocks. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The voting also showed how the race landed across the league: Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren finished second, and Detroit Pistons wing Ausar Thompson finished third. Both helped No. 1 seeds in their conferences. (nba.com) The award closes a two-year climb. Wembanyama finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting as a rookie, then saw his 2024-25 season cut short by a medical condition while he was the favorite for the award. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) His win also adds him to a short historical list. NBA.com said Wembanyama joined David Robinson and Michael Jordan as the only players to win both Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. (nba.com) For the Spurs, the trophy extends a franchise record. San Antonio became the first team with four different Defensive Player of the Year winners: Alvin Robertson, David Robinson, Kawhi Leonard and now Wembanyama. (nba.com) Wembanyama’s regular season numbers help explain the vote. His NBA.com player page lists him at 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game, alongside the defensive impact that made him the clear pick. (nba.com) The award arrived one day after Wembanyama opened the playoffs with 35 points and two blocks in a Game 1 win over Portland. The league announced the honor before revealing the rest of its major regular-season awards this week. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)