Wemby Just Made History: First Unanimous DPOY Award in NBA History
Victor Wembanyama swept every single vote for Defensive Player of the Year. At 22. Here's why this is a massive moment — for the sport and for his card market.
I keep saying Wembanyama is different. Not in the "he's really good" way — in the "we may never see this again in our lifetime" way.
This week the NBA confirmed what the rest of us already knew: Victor Wembanyama just became the first player in NBA history to win Defensive Player of the Year unanimously. All 100 first-place votes. Zero dissent. The kid is 22 years old.
When a player wins a historic award unanimously at 22, it doesn't just change the sports headlines — it reshapes his card market trajectory for years.
What He Actually Did This Season
Let's not skim past the stats. Wemby led the entire NBA in blocks for the second straight season with 197 total. He added 66 steals and averaged 11.5 rebounds per game, helping the Spurs achieve the league's second-best defensive rating overall.
But the number that tells the full story? Zero first-place votes for anyone else. That doesn't happen. Rudy Gobert has won this award four times and never pulled that off. No one has — in 78 years of NBA history.
His teammates and opponents have started talking about him the way legends get talked about — not in terms of what he did on a play, but what he prevented. Opponents reportedly don't even attempt certain shots when Wemby is nearby. He doesn't just contest shots; he fundamentally alters offensive strategy just by standing there.
He Told Gobert This Was Coming
Here's the detail that made me stop scrolling.
As a rookie in 2024, Wembanyama reportedly told four-time DPOY winner Rudy Gobert — in French — that "after that, it's no longer his turn."
That's not arrogance. That's a 21-year-old knowing exactly what he's capable of before anyone else did. And now he's backed it up in the most decisive way possible.
The confidence to say that, as a rookie, to the reigning king of defensive basketball? That's the kind of mentality that builds legacies.
What This Means for the Card Market
If you're a collector and you've been sleeping on Wemby cards, pay attention.
Unanimous awards create price momentum. Not "oh he's good" momentum — the kind where collectors start asking "when's the last time we had someone like this?" and come up empty. The answer here is basically never.
The Spurs are in the playoffs right now. He's competing for MVP alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. If the Spurs make a deep run and Wemby stacks an MVP on top of this DPOY?
That's generational card territory.
I'm not telling you what to buy — but if you don't have any Wemby in your portfolio and you've been waiting for a clear signal, a unanimous, historic, first-ever DPOY award at 22 is about as clear as signals get.
The Bottom Line
Victor Wembanyama just won an award that no player in 78 years of NBA history managed to win unanimously. He's 22, he's in the playoffs, and he's chasing MVP. What's happening in San Antonio right now is something you'll be telling people about in 20 years. Make sure you're paying attention.