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Victor Wembanyama (Source: X)
On Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs presented Victor Wembanyama with the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy at the planetarium on the campus of San Antonio College, perhaps a fitting venue for the player nicknamed "The Alien." In league history, only six players have received every first-place vote for a coveted award since 1953, including the Victor Wembanyama from France.
He joined Houston's Ralph Sampson (1984), San Antonio's David Robinson (1990), the Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Gryphon (2011), Portland's Damian Lillard (2013), and Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns (2016). He is the third San Antonio player to earn the honor, behind Robinson and Tim Duncan in 1998.
According to AP News, Victor Wembanyama stated that “Of course, I want to win as soon as possible, and I want the team results to be there, but I didn’t expect to be champions in my first year.” “This is one of the representations of our progression throughout the year and the efforts we all made on the court.”
Watch the full video here:
celebrating our @Kia NBA Rookie of the Year 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZpC33TgYRA
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 11, 2024
San Antonio Spurs finished 22-60 this season, repeating their record from 2022-23, but there is plenty of hope for the future as Wembanyama fulfilled his promise as the first overall choice in the draft. Wembanyama is the first rookie in league history to average 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game.
Victor Wembanyama set to play for France
San Antonio has missed the playoffs for five straight seasons after matching a league record with 22 consecutive postseason berths from 1998 to 2019. Wembanyama, on the other hand, considers himself privileged to play for a club that has won five NBA championships and is led by Gregg Popovich, one of the league's most regarded coaches.
Wembanyama's next stop will be the Summer Olympics in Paris, where he will have the opportunity to represent his native France on a global scale.