NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025–26 season is Victor Wembanyama, and the San Antonio Spurs star did not just win the award – he made history doing it. The 22-year-old became the first unanimous winner of the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the award’s entire history, sweeping all 100 first-place votes from the voting panel. No player since the honor was introduced in 1983 had ever achieved such a clean sweep – until Wembanyama.
Standing 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan, he terrorized opposing offenses all season long, leading the NBA in blocks per game (3.1) for the third consecutive year. His dominance on the defensive end helped propel the Spurs to a 62–20 record and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Simply put, Wembanyama is not just the best defender in basketball today – he is the best defensive player the league has ever seen.
A Historic Clean Sweep
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year award has existed since 1983, yet no player had ever swept every available vote – until now. Wembanyama beat out fellow finalists Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons) to claim the hardware. Holmgren finished second in voting, ahead of Thompson. This marks Wembanyama’s second consecutive top-two finish in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting; he finished runner-up to Rudy Gobert during his 2023–24 rookie season. “I’m super proud to be the first ever unanimous [winner],” Wembanyama told NBC Sports. “My shot-blocking is something I’ve been working on forever. It’s probably the area of my game where I feel most comfortable at.”
Wemby by the Numbers
The case for Wembanyama as NBA Defensive Player of the Year was built on historic statistical dominance. He led the entire league in blocks per game (3.1) for the third straight season – a staggering 1.2 blocks per game more than second-place finisher Holmgren (1.9). Adding one steal per game to his tally, Wembanyama topped the NBA in combined “stocks” (blocks + steals), a metric widely cited as the truest measure of individual defensive disruption. Standing 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan, he forces opponents to alter shots at the rim, in the mid-range, and even on the perimeter – a defensive presence with no real parallel in today’s game.
Defense That Wins Games
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year didn’t just collect individual honors – he helped transform the Spurs into a contender. San Antonio posted the league’s second-best record (62–20), secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, and ranked third in defensive rating largely due to Wembanyama’s impact. The Spurs returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and Wembanyama made his postseason debut in style, leading a 111–98 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He is also an MVP finalist alongside Nikola Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, underlining just how complete his season has been.
FAQs
Q1. Who won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2025–26?
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, becoming the first unanimous winner in the history of the honor with all 100 first-place votes.
Q2. Is Wembanyama the youngest NBA Defensive Player of the Year ever?
Yes. Victor Wembanyama is the youngest NBA player to ever win the Defensive Player of the Year award at 22 years of age.
Q3. Who were the other finalists for the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year?
The finalists were Chet Holmgren (2nd) and Ausar Thompson (3rd). Neither came close to matching Wembanyama’s unanimous vote total.
Q4. How many blocks per game did Wembanyama average in 2025–26?
Wembanyama was the league leader in blocks, with an average of 3.1 blocks per game -the highest in the NBA and 1.2 blocks more than anybody else.
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