French center Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award on Monday, becoming at 22 the youngest player to win the statuette, pending a possible MVP.

The crowning of the 2.24-meter giant was expected given his dominance: he was selected as the first choice (out of three) by the entire panel of journalists including AFP, the North American league indicated on X. A first since the introduction of this award during the 1982-1983 season.

He succeeds Cleveland's Evan Mobley, who won last year after Wembanyama was ineligible due to a venous thrombosis that ended his season in February.

Before the Spurs' No. 1, two Frenchmen had been recognized for their defense, Rudy Gobert (2018, 2019, 2021, 2024) and Joakim Noah (2014).

Wembanyama presents a unique defensive threat, thanks to the combination of his size and mobility, which has carried the San Antonio Spurs to second place in the Western Conference, well beyond the expectations at the start of the season.

He averaged 3.1 blocks per game during the regular season, leading by far in that category. He recorded as many as 9 blocks in a single game, during an overtime win against the Pelicans in October.

Named Rookie of the Year in 2024 after his first season, "Wemby" is eyeing another trophy this season: the MVP, the most prestigious award. With 25.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in under 30 minutes per game (29.2), he posted his most complete stat line yet.

He is one of the three finalists along with Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), and Serbian Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), who has already won three times (2021, 2022, 2024).

- Records -

At the end of March, Wembanyama had supported his candidacy against his two competitors, both considered top scorers, by reminding everyone that defense represented "50% of the game".

The NBA has not yet specified the date for the announcement of the winner.

Accustomed to breaking records for precocity, the Frenchman became on this occasion the youngest winner of the best defender trophy, ahead of five other players rewarded at the age of 23, including Mobley, Dwight Howard and Kawhi Leonard.

He also won the Western Conference Defensive Player of the Month award three times this season (January, February, March).

In the coming weeks, another trophy will occupy his mind: the Larry O'Brien trophy for the NBA champion.

In his playoff debut, Wembanyama scored 35 points on Sunday in a home win against the Portland Trail Blazers, ahead of another game on Tuesday. If they advance to the semifinals, they could face either Jokic's Nuggets or Gobert's Timberwolves.