San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is the 2023–2024 NBA Rookie of the Year. Wembanyama capped off an excellent rookie campaign by becoming the sixth unanimous Rookie of the Year in NBA history.
Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama Wins 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year
The 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year is… Victor Wembanyama!#NBAAwards | #KiaROY | @Kia pic.twitter.com/tgxkaeA1bS
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2024
Wembanyama received all 99 first-place votes from a media panel, becoming the first unanimous Kia NBA Rookie of the Year since Karl-Anthony Towns in the 2015-16 season.
Other unanimous NBA Rookie of the Year winners include Ralph Sampson (1983-1984), David Robinson (1989-1990), Blake Griffin (2010-2011), Damian Lillard (2012-2013), and Towns (2015-2016).
In 71 games, Wembanyama averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. Wembanyama is the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-2000 to average 10 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and three blocks in a single season.
Wembanyama joins Manute Bol (1985-1986) as the second rookie to lead all NBA players in blocks per game in a season.
Victor Wembanyama Caps Off Historic Season
🗣️ Unanimous #KiaROY @wemby reacts to winning! 🏆 #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/egWtRWCXCR
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2024
Wembanyama joins Robinson and Tim Duncan (1997-98) as the only Spurs to win Rookie of the Year.
Wembanyama became the first player to average at least 20.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks in fewer than 30 minutes per game in a season.
The historic stats continue for Wembanyama, becoming the first player to have at least 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocks, and 100 3-pointers made in a season.
“My goals were always to help my team as best as I could and get better as the year went on,” Wembanyama said in an interview on Inside the NBA. “I knew in order to do this I had to be individually good on the court and dominant. So, it was a huge thing for me and a big thing to get. It’s always been really important and I’m glad it’s finally official.”
Wembanyama can collect some more hardware as a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, along with Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and Miami’s Bam Adebayo.
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