Generational might be an understatement.
San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama justified his reputation as the best rookie in over a decade and is set to be rewarded for it, as he was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, the league announced Monday.
He beat out Oklahoma City Thunder big Chet Holmgren and second-overall pick Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets for the award.
Wembanyama’s emergence in the NBA lived up to the hype and more, as his otherworldly frame and abilities made him the easy choice for the award. His numbers backed it up as well, finishing with 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game in his rookie season.
His 21.4 points were the most by a rookie since Blake Griffin scored 22.5 in the 2010-11 season and were more than all-time legends like LeBron James, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan and Kevin Durant. Meanwhile, only Manute Bol (5.0) and David Robinson (3.9) had more blocks per game than Wembanyama in their rookie seasons.
Wembanyama’s rookie season was a year of firsts. Past just being the first player to look and play like he does, his status as a physical anomaly coincided with some ridiculous statistical anomalies. He became the first player in NBA history to average 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, 3+ assists, 3+ blocks, 1+ steals and 1+ 3-pointers per game.
He also joined an exclusive club, logging the league’s 22nd ‘5×5’ stat line in a game against the Lakers. He finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and five blocks.
“He doesn’t have a ceiling,” LeBron James said after that game. “He can do whatever he wants to do in his career. … I said a long time ago how special he was, and it’s really that simple.”
Tack on some world-breaking viral highlights including taking off from the free throw line for a finger-roll layup, step-back threes after breaking down his defender and a bevy of seemingly impossible floaters, and Wembanyama’s rookie year has gone down as one of the most unforgettable in some time.
Despite his individual success, the Spurs couldn’t follow it up with a winning season. They finished 22-60 and second-last in the Western Conference.
Wembanyama is also a finalist for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Should he win both, he’ll be the first player to ever take home both awards in the same year. Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and Miami’s Bam Adebayo are the other finalists.
More to come.
