Victor Wembanyama dropped 40 points and 13 rebounds in his 65th game of the season to officially qualify for NBA awards, then made one thing clear afterward. Anything short of a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year selection would surprise him. As the regular season winds down, the Spurs star isn’t just leading the race, he’s redefining how dominant a defender can be.

Following the win over the Dallas Mavericks, where he met the NBA’s 65-game requirement, reporters asked Wembanyama if he would be surprised not to win Defensive Player of the Year unanimously. The Spurs star didn’t hesitate: “Yes. Yes, I would.”

 

No player in NBA history has ever won Defensive Player of the Year unanimously, and Wembanyama now has a real shot to become the first. Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren remains the only realistic challenger for a few stray votes, but the race has largely felt decided for months.

Wembanyama’s case for a unanimous selection is built on overwhelming production. He leads the league with 3.1 blocks per game, nearly 50 percent higher than second-place Chet Holmgren, and has totaled 197 blocks on the season. Even more telling, he sits 56 blocks ahead of Jay Huff despite playing fewer games, showing just how far ahead of the field he has been.

The impact goes beyond blocks. Without Wembanyama, the Spurs sit around league average defensively, but with him on the floor, their defensive rating improves dramatically into the low-110s or better. That swing alone highlights how much he anchors everything San Antonio does on that end.

His defensive dominance isn’t just about size and wingspan. Wembanyama consistently switches onto guards, using his mobility and anticipation to stay in front and contest shots, a rare ability for a player of his size.

However, his biggest impact doesn’t show up fully in the box score. Opposing guards routinely alter shots or avoid attacking the paint entirely when he’s nearby, a level of defensive presence that changes how teams operate. With that kind of influence, the 22-year-old has every reason to believe this award is his to lose.

Victor Wembanyama could join an elite list of Spurs players to win the DPOY award

Victor Wembanyama is on the verge of adding his name to an elite list of San Antonio Spurs defenders who have won Defensive Player of the Year. Only Alvin Robertson, David Robinson, and Kawhi Leonard have achieved that feat in franchise history, placing him in rare company if he follows through.

Now the question arises whether he could be the first unanimous DPOY award winner in the NBA or not. Given his impact and the overall presence on court, he has a strong chance of scripting history. The Frenchman is no stranger to scripting history. He announced himself to the NBA in 2023 when the Spurs selected him first overall. He then won Rookie of the Year unanimously, becoming the first player to do so since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016.

He is on track to become one of the defining players of this era. In just his third season, he is already in both DPOY and MVP conversations, while the Spurs are emerging as legitimate contenders in the Western Conference. If this season ends with a historic first, it won’t feel like a peak; it will feel like the beginning.

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