Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs superstar, sends a message by winning the 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year award. The generational talent won unanimously, becoming the first French player to win the accolade and the third Spur to do so, following Tim Duncan and David Robinson.
Wembanyama became the sixth player in league history to receive all 99 first-place votes, behind Ralph Sampson (1984), Robinson (1990), Blake Griffin (2011), Damian Lillard (2013), and Karl-Anthony Towns (2016).
Wembanyama played 71 games, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals in 29.7 minutes, leading all rookies in scoring and rebounding per game. As a Defensive Player of the Year finalist, he led the NBA in blocked shots.
It’s a rookie year to remember, one of the best in league history.
Victor Wembanyama boasts remarkable statistics
The 20-year-old big is the only player in NBA history to record 1,500+ points, 700+ rebounds, 250+ assists, 250+ blocks, and 100+ three-pointers in a single season. He had 1,522 points, 755 rebounds, 274 assists, and 254 blocks despite playing less than 30 minutes per game.
Wemby is the first player in NBA history to average at least 3.5 blocks and 1.0 three-pointers, demonstrating why he entered the league with such fanfare despite having possibly the most unusual combination of height and skill.
He is the second rookie in NBA history to lead the league in blocks, both in rejections per game and total blocks (254). Former NBA journeyman Manute Bol accomplished it in 1985-86.
Wembanyama totaled 342 steals and blocks, or “stocks.” He is the first rookie to have over 300 combined steals and blocks in a season since Shaquille O’Neal in 1992-93.
The youngest player to
The 7-foot-4 superstar also set several “youngest-ever” records.
On December 8, the 2023 first overall draft pick became the youngest player in NBA history to score a 20/20 game, scoring 20 points and 20 rebounds while also providing four assists and four blocks against the Chicago Bulls.
On February 23, he scored 27 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five steals, and five blocks against the Los Angeles Lakers, making him the youngest player in NBA history to do it.
And he’s the youngest player in NBA history to have a 40/20 game, scoring 40 points, 20 rebounds, and seven assists in a dramatic 130-126 overtime win over the New York Knicks on March 29.
Wemby’s Triple-doubles
The French marvel has already achieved two triple-doubles. He’s the only NBA rookie to record a triple-double in blocks and assists in the same season.
Six days after leaving his teens, Wemby scored 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 130-108 victory over the Detroit Pistons on January 10.
A little more than a month later, he became the first rookie since David Robinson to post a triple-double with rejections, tallying 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, five assists, and two steals in a 122-99 victory over the Toronto Raptors on February 12.
Though Wembanyama did not reach double figures in three stat categories in an overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets on March 17th, that night in Austin, Texas stands noteworthy because he came close to a quadruple-double with 33 points, 15 rebounds, seven blocks, and seven assists.
It seemed only a matter of time before he becomes the fifth player in NBA history to record a quadruple-double. With Victor Wembanyama, everything seems to be simply a matter of time.