Spurs star Victor Wembanyama wins NBA Rookie of the Year
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama entered the NBA with the most hype of any player since LeBron James in 2003. And he’s lived up to every bit of it.
The 20-year-old center took home the league’s Rookie of the Year award on Monday after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, 1.8 3-pointers and 1.2 steals a game. No player in NBA history had averaged more than those combined figures before.
Wembanyama beat out Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets for the honor. He joins David Robinson (1990) and Tim Duncan (1998) as the only Spurs player to win Rookie of the Year.
The 7-foot-4 French native is also a finalist for NBA Defensive Player of the Year with Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat. That award will be announced Tuesday night.
Image: San Antonio Spurs v Memphis Grizzlies game uniform NBC rookie of the year award (Justin Ford / Getty Images file)
Wembanyama’s efforts this season may have been overlooked based on San Antonio’s lack of success. Despite his impressive accolades, the Spurs ended the season 22-60 — the same as the prior season. That record puts them 14th out of 15 teams in the Western Conference, just one game better than the Portland Trail Blazers.
But Wembanyama’s immense potential is enough to predict a bright future for the franchise. His ability to dribble, shoot, pass and defend at his towering size make him like no other player in basketball today. It’s why top free agents are expected to consider San Antonio in the coming years partially based on the chance to team up with a budding superstar.
The Spurs also entered the season with the youngest roster in the NBA at an average age of 23.52 years old. With continued development from those players and the right additions this offseason, San Antonio could go from rebuild to contender in quick fashion.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com