NBA Rookie of the Year: San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama becomes first Frenchman to win award
- Wembanyama was a unanimous selection, taking all 99 first-place votes, the first unanimous top rookie pick since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016
- Chet Holmgren, a centre for Oklahoma City, was second and Charlotte’s Brandon Miller third in the voting
San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama won the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award, the league announced on Monday, marking the first time a Frenchman has captured the honour.
The 20-year-old centre, a 7ft 4 inch (2.24m) prodigy who was the top pick in last year’s NBA Draft, averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, a league-high 3.6 blocked shots and 1.2 steals a game in his impressive debut campaign.
Wembanyama was a unanimous selection, taking all 99 first-place votes, the first unanimous top rookie pick since Karl-Anthony Towns in 2016.
“My goals were always to have my team as best as I could and to get better as the year went on,” Wembanyama said. “I knew that in order to do this I had to be individually good on the court and dominant so it was a huge thing for me, a big thing to get.
“It has always been really important and I’m glad it’s finally official.”
Chet Holmgren, a centre for Western Conference champion Oklahoma City, was second and Charlotte’s Brandon Miller third in the voting.
