Victor Wembanyama has collected his first piece of NBA hardware.
The Spurs star was named 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year, beating out Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Charlotte’s Brandon Miller for the honor.
Wembanyama joined legendary Spurs Tim Duncan and David Robinson as No. 1 overall draft picks by the franchise to have captured the award, with Duncan doing so in 1998 and Robinson taking home the honors in 1990.
“My goal was always to help my team as best I could and get better as the year went on,” Wembayama told TNT. “I knew that, in order to do this, I had to be individually good on the court and dominant. [Rookie of the Year] was a huge thing for me and a big thing to get. It’s always been really important and I’m glad it’s official.”
The award came as little surprise to anyone who has seen him play this year, which was one of the best rookie seasons the NBA has seen.
Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points per game, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-leading 3.6 blocks over 71 games for San Antonio.
He also averaged 1.2 steals per game.
The 7-foot-4 Frenchman has lived up to the hype that he came into the league with, finishing his rookie season, and he was unanimously voted as the top rookie.
It’s the first time since Karl-Anthony Towns won it in 2016 that a player was unanimously awarded the honor.
In a rarity, Wembanyama is also a finalist or Defensive Player of the Year and joins legendary big man Shaquille O’Neal in putting up 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and three blocks during a single season.
O’Neal was the last player to do so during the 1999-2000 season when the Lakers won their first of three consecutive NBA titles.
“Physically, the work is never going to be done,” Wembanyama said during the appearance on TNT before the Knicks tipped off against the Pacers. “We’re going to keep discovering new ways to get better and work on my body. With basketball, there’s a lot I want to work on. I’m excited. The big thing I can tell you is that I’m already working on my balance and strength.”
After the news was announced, Fanatics released a video where the athletic outfitter created a fake exhibit to bring together some of the best past rookies of the year to congratulate Wembanyama on the accomplishment.
Despite Wembanyama’s success, the Spurs finished with a 22-60 record.
