French professional basketball player and San Antonio Spurs’ rising star Victor Wembanyama made history by winning the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award, becoming the first French player to receive this honor.
The 20-year-old center, standing at an impressive 7-foot-4 (2.24m), was the top pick in 2023 NBA Draft.
In his debut season, Wembanyama showcased remarkable skills, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, a league-leading 3.6 blocked shots, and 1.2 steals per game.
His exceptional performance earned him a unanimous selection, receiving all 99 first-place votes, a feat not achieved since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016.
“My goals were always to have my team as best as I could and to get better as the year went on,” Wembanyama told US NBA telecaster TNT.
“I knew that in order to do this I had to be individually good on the court and dominant so it was a huge thing for me, a big thing to get.
“It has always been really important and I’m glad it’s finally official.”
Chet Holmgren, the center for the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City, finished second in the voting, while Brandon Miller of Charlotte came in third.
Guided by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Wembanyama joined the ranks of San Antonio greats, becoming the third player from the team to win the award. He followed in the footsteps of big men David Robinson in 1990 and Tim Duncan in 1998.
‘Wemby’ matched Manute Bol from 1986 as the only rookies to lead the NBA in blocks for a season and said he improved all aspects of his game as the season went along, topping rookies in points, rebounds and blocks.
“Everything pretty much got better,” he said. “What I made big efforts on is the playmaking, shot selection and also after the minutes restrictions I had I had to get back into good shape to play more than 30-35 minutes. The cardio, I think, I’ve made huge improvements on.
“I’ve never gotten so much better in so few months, so really glad.”
Wembanyama made it clear that his work doesn’t stop in the off-season.
“There’s plenty of stuff I plan to be working on,” he said. “Physically the work is never going to be done. I’ve had my plan for months already for all of my body and we’re going to keep discovering new ways to get better and to work on my body.
“For basketball, there’s a lot I want to work on and a lot Pop wants me to work on, so I’m excited. A big thing I can tell you already is my balance and the use of my strength, learning to know my body better in the space.”
Despite the San Antonio Spurs’ struggles with a 22-60 record, the second-worst in the Western Conference, “Wemby” Wembanyama emerged as an NBA sensation, living up to his billing as a once-in-a-generation talent.
In January, he achieved his first NBA triple-double in a win against Detroit. He followed this up with another triple-double in February, scoring 27 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking 10 shots against Toronto, a performance that included the first instance of 20 points and 10 blocks in under 30 minutes played.
In late March, ‘Wemby’ recorded a career-high 40 points along with 20 rebounds in a victory over New York. His outstanding defensive skills also saw him named as a finalist for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
Next, Wembanyama is expected to be selected for France’s Olympic team as they host the Paris Olympics. His athletic background is rich, coming from a family of basketball and track and field athletes. Initially a goalkeeper, he shifted his focus to basketball as he grew taller.
Joining the Spurs, a team where French guard Tony Parker became an NBA legend, Wembanyama has quickly made a name for himself on the court.
“For an athlete, the culture, everything is made for us to thrive,” Wembanyama said of US life. “I’m really in a bubble. I know I’m living a very privileged life as an NBA player. There’s a lot of people taking care of me every day even when I don’t notice it. This award is also on them a little bit.”
