San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been named the 2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the youngest winner of the award and the first unanimous selection since the honour was introduced in the 1982-83 season. The 22-year-old Frenchman received all 100 first-place votes from a global media panel to claim the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy in commanding fashion.
Wembanyama’s victory capped a dominant defensive season in which he again established himself as the league’s most intimidating interior presence. He led the NBA in blocked shots at 3.1 per game and was widely credited with transforming the Spurs into one of the league’s best defensive teams through his rim protection, mobility and ability to guard multiple positions. NBA.com noted that opponents across guards, forwards and centers were all held under 43% shooting when matched up against him.
His win places him ahead of fellow finalists Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons. It also marks another milestone in a career that has advanced at extraordinary speed since he entered the league, reinforcing his growing status as one of the NBA’s defining two-way stars.
