Victor Wembenyama is the First Unanimous NBA Defensive Player of the Year

NBA awards season is underway, and the first trophy was given out on Monday evening.

Victor Wembanyama is the Defensive Player of the Year. He is the first player in NBA history to win the award unanimously. He got all 100 first-place votes.

Victor Wembanyama is the first unanimous Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year since the award's inception in 1982-83.



The winner was selected by a global media panel of 100 voters.



Complete voting results pic.twitter.com/wIUDEDWJtm

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 20, 2026

Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder came in second with 76 second-place votes. Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons came in third with nine second-place votes and 33 third-place votes.

Wembanyama is a generational player who is already one of the best 22-year-old stars ever to play the game. Wemby combines a 7'4'' wingspan with the skills of a guard on offense and defensive instincts to match his frame.

Related: Victor Wembanyama Just Broke This 28-Year-Old Playoff Record

The Spurs just started their first-round playoff series last night against the Portland Trail Blazers. They won the game 111-98 behind Wembanyama's 35-point performance to take an early lead in the series. San Antonio hadn't made the playoffs since 2019. They are looking for their first NBA title since 2014.

Wembanyama was always expected to start making an immediate defensive impact on games since his rookie season. His ascent to the Defensive Player of the Year award is one of the least shocking developments in recent memory.

The bigger question is how many of these awards he will win in his career. Many analysts feel that Wembanyama might win the most Defensive Player of the Year awards in league history. The current record holders are Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, who each won four awards.

Wembanyama is the fourth Spurs player to win Defensive Player of the Year. The others were David Robinson, Kawhi Leonard, and Alvin Robertson. The Spurs have the most players ever to win the award.

Defense runs DEEP in San Antonio



The Spurs hold the NBA record for the most DPOY award winners pic.twitter.com/EIKFmoEPGj

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 20, 2026

Defense wins championships in the NBA. Wembanyama's prowess on that end of the floor should aid San Antonio in their quest to upset the Oklahoma City Thunder in this year's playoffs. The Spurs won 62 games this season, their most wins in a season since they won 67 in 2016. They lost to the Thunder that year in the second round of the playoffs.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Apr 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Sports section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

This story was originally published April 20, 2026 at 7:55 PM.