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NBA Announces Offseason Award for Victor Wembanyama
Mar 7, 2025; Sacramento, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) looks on from the bench during the fourth quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

NBA Announces Offseason Award for Victor Wembanyama

Originally posted on San Antonio Spurs on SI
By Will Despart  |  Last updated Aug 10, 2025 9:49 PM ET

San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama will stack up plenty of NBA hardware throughout the course of his career. While an untimely health issue prevented him from taking home his first Defensive Player of the Year Award this season, Wembanyama's performance on that end of the floor did earn him a significant fan-voted accolade from the league.

His two-handed block against the Houston Rockets earned him the 2024-25 NBA Fan Favorites Defensive Play of the Year on Sunday. While there was no officially named Defensive Play of the Year Award last season, Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards took home the 2023-24 NBA Fan Favorites Block of the Year Award.

Wembanyama's rejection of then-Rocket Jalen Green was the most spectacular on a long list of highlight reel blocks accumulated by the 7'4 center aptly nicknamed "The Alien". He fully extended his arms upright, sending the ill-fated dunk attempt to the ground despite being in a vulnerable position when Green began making his pursuit at the rim.

Spur Forever?

The 21-year-old center averaged 24.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists this past season, his second in the NBA after entering the league as the most anticipated prospect in two decades. However, Wembanyama was ruled out for the season in February due to deep vein thrombosis, or a blood clot, in his left shoulder.

Despite having been in the league just two seasons, Wembanyama has already made it clear that he plans on being a San Antonio Spur for the rest of his career. Like many of his Gen Z peers, he prefers the idea of a Kobe-like legacy in one city as opposed to bouncing around from situation to situation throughout

"I know that not every player in the NBA has the same ambitions," Wembanyama told French newspaper L'Équipe. "But it's obviously my dream to spend my entire career with a single franchise. Here. In San Antonio."

Everyone's Favorite Alien

It's been quite an offseason for Wembanyama, who went viral earlier in the summer for going on an expedition with monks at a temple in Shaolin. The center was also recently seen connecting with high-intensity NBA legend Kevin Garnett, proving there's some yin and yang to his young personality.

Wembanyama recently restarted basketball activities after his unfortunate health scare last season, and he's expected to be available for San Antonio on opening night. Given how heavy of a favorite he was before he was ruled out for the season, the All-Star center should be the significant favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2025-26.

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This article first appeared on San Antonio Spurs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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