France’s Wembanyama makes history as first unanimous NBA defensive star in 2026

Victor Wembanyama becomes the first ever unanimous winner of the NBA’s defensive player of the year award in 2026.

Spurs star claims top defensive honor San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has been crowned the NBA’s defensive player of the year. At 7 feet 4 inches tall, the France international stands as the award’s first-ever unanimous recipient after receiving all 100 available first-place votes. Now 22 years old, he also sets a new record as the youngest player to earn this prize and only the second to win it within his first three professional seasons, following Spurs legend David Robinson in 1991-92. The two-time All-Star was selected first overall in the 2023 draft and has topped the league in blocked shots for three straight campaigns, averaging 3.1 rejections per outing. ## Career peaks highlight standout season Wembanyama posted career-best figures in scoring and rebounding this season, putting up 25.0 points and 11.5 boards per game while also tallying a steal per contest. Upon accepting the award, he shared his excitement with NBC, saying: "I'm super, super happy to win this award and actually super proud to be the first ever unanimous [winner]." Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren finished runner-up with 239 total points (76 second-place votes), while Detroit Pistons guard Ausar Thompson placed third with 60 points (nine second-place votes). ## San Antonio’s defensive dominance noted Wembanyama helped guide San Antonio to the second-best regular-season record at 62-20, and the team’s defense ranked third league-wide. Reflecting on his impact, German NBA icon Dirk Nowitzki told AFP: "I've never seen anything like it. His defence is so good that he changes the game just by being on the court and taking away some of the lay-ups and twos that other teams would usually take." ## Playoff action continues after Sunday opener Wembanyama shone in his playoff debut on Sunday as San Antonio defeated Portland. The opening round resumed on Monday, with the Cleveland Cavaliers jumping out to a 2-0 series lead over the Toronto Raptors. Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and James Harden added 28 in Cleveland’s 115-105 home victory. Teammate Evan Mobley said of the backcourt: "They're one of the greatest. It's hard to stop them because of their offensive prowess. They can make any shot." Toronto’s RJ Barrett admitted: "They're a problem and we've got to figure out how to fix that." ## Minnesota and Atlanta rally in early games Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards delivered 30 points and 10 rebounds in a thrilling comeback from 19 points down, leading his team to an 119-114 road win over the Denver Nuggets and tying their series at 1-1. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks earned a road victory of their own, defeating the New York Knicks 107-106 on the strength of CJ McCollum’s game-high 32 points.