Frenchman Victor Wembanyama, who was selected as the No. 1 pick in last year’s NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs, fulfilled expectations and won the coveted award.
With 100 percent of the vote, Victor Wembanyama is named Rookie of the Year.
Wembanyama, who was up for the award along with Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Brandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets), won the rookie of the year, receiving 99 of the 99 possible votes.
One of the greatest rookie seasons the NBA has seen.
Victor Wembanyama, the unanimous #KiaROY. 👽 pic.twitter.com/ZKKhqo9ymj
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2024
Only five other players have ever won the title with 100 percent votes: Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns.
The 20-year-old center stood out in his first year in the NBA scoring at least 1,500 points, and 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks with 100 three-pointers for the season.
In addition, he averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks (the player with the most this season) and 1.2 steals in 29.7 minutes.
The Spurs star, who in spite of his performances could not raise his team beyond a second-to-last place finish in the Western Conference with a 22-60 record, is also a candidate for the Defensive Player of the Year award, although in this category his compatriot Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, as well as Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, stand out among the front-runners.
