On Monday, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama won the 2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award by a historical unanimous vote. Wemby comfortably beat his chief rival, Chet Holmgren, who received 76 second-place votes.
NBA legend Dwight Howard tweeted his congratulations to the 7-foot-4 center for winning the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. Howard, a three-time DPOY, wrote on X:
“Congrats to Wemby on winning the DPOY, now go ahead and give him that MVP!”
Wemby said before the playoffs started that he would be surprised if he was not the unanimous DPOY winner. Just as many expected, he earned the recognition to become the Spurs’ first DPOY since Kawhi Leonard got the same honor during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.
Victor Wembanyama led the NBA in blocks per game with 3.1 and total blocks with 197. The center also has 66 steals, underlining his impact even when he’s not using his length to swat shots.
While the DPOY award was arguably a foregone conclusion as soon as Wembanyama met the 65-game minimum requirement, the MVP is another story. The Frenchman is one of three finalists for the award, but he is not the favorite. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning holder of the award, are seemingly ahead of Wemby in a tight race.
Dwight Howard, a perennial MVP contender in his prime, is campaigning for Wembanyama to bring home the Michael Jordan Trophy as well.
Victor Wembanyama Joins Elite Company if He Adds MVP to DPOY Award
Victor Wembanyama is on the cusp of another enviable history if he wins the MVP award to pair with his DPOY. A double-double by the Frenchman will put him in the same status as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan.
The NBA icon collected both awards during the 1987-88 season. Hakeem Olajuwon, drafted No. 1 in the same class as Jordan, followed “His Airness” by grabbing both awards during the 1993-94 season. Just when some thought the same feat could not be replicated again, Antetokounmpo proved them wrong by joining the two following his 2019-20 campaign.
At 22, Victor Wembanyama could also become the youngest player to win both the MVP and the DPOY if he gets the nod from the voters.
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