Yardbarker
x
Victor Wembanyana Becomes 6th Unanimous Rookie Of The Year Winner; LeBron, Durant Among NBA Legends Who Surprised Wemby
Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

Victor Wembanyana Becomes 6th Unanimous Rookie Of The Year Winner; LeBron, Durant Among NBA Legends Who Surprised Wemby

Originally posted on Fadeaway World
By Ishaan Bhattacharya  |  Last updated 5/7/24

Victor Wembanyama was named the sixth unanimous Rookie of the Year winner in NBA history. He's the first since Blake Griffin in 2016 to pull the feat off in an incredibly dominant rookie campaign. Other members of the unanimous ROTY club are Karl-Anthony Towns (2016), Damian Lillard (2013), David Robinson (1990), and Ralph Sampson (1984).

Wembanyama received all 99 first-place votes, totalling a perfect 495 points. Chet Holmgren finished second with 295 points, nearly being named the unanimous second place after receiving 98 of 99 votes. Brandon Miller finished third with 86 points, while Jaime Jaquez Jr., Brandin Podziemski, and Dereck Lively II also received votes.

Wembanyama became the third Spurs player to win the Rookie of the Year award after David Robinson (1990) and Tim Duncan (1998). He averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game, tallying a stat line that no rookie in NBA history ever has. He's the only rookie (4th player ever) to finish a season with at least 1,500 points, 250 assists, and 250 blocked shots, a feat former Spur Robinson achieved twice in his career while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did it five times.

Wembanyama had some mind-boggling single-game performances, such as tallying his first career triple-double in just 21 minutes or becoming the first player since Jusuf Nurkic in 2019 to tally a 5x5, and then doing it twice as a rookie. Wembanyama is the first player in NBA history to score 1,500 points, block 250 shots, and hit 100 three-point shots in a single season.  

The French center also has a legitimate case for Defensive Player of the Year, outpacing the last 9 DPOY winners in terms of blocks and steals over a season. While he's not expected to win it, Wembanyama finishing No. 2 as a rookie is an incredible feat for a center people said would struggle to adjust to the physicality of the NBA.

LeBron James, Kevin Durant, And Other Former ROTY's Surprised Wemby With Messages

Fanatics put together an incredible surprise for Wembanyama as he was named Rookie of the Year, going to a room filled with the rookie jerseys of former winners such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, and others. The players seemingly shared messages through a screen with a deepfaked video moving its lips, before the actual players showed up on the screen to congratulate Wemby. 

This was an incredible video that shows how many NBA legends are rooting for Wembanyama to succeed. All the messages were thoughtful and we have to share them with you.

LeBron James: "Happy to have you as part of this beautiful league. Keep doing you. Keep getting better. I want to say congratulations to you, Rookie of the Year. Well deserved, and this is just the beginning. Love, bro."

Kevin Durant: "Hell of a season. I'm excited to see what you do in the next 15 years man. Keep balling, the future is so bright. Welcome to the Rookie of the Year club!"

Shaquille O'Neal: "High expectations, and you've met all of them. You will, sooner or later, be one of the greatest big men ever."

Allen Iverson: "Continue to work on your craft and be greater than who you already are. I'm proud of you and you deserve every bit of it."

Jason Kidd: "Leading the league in blocked shots, changed shots, man, you've set the bar so high."

Vince Carter: "I'm very impressed at how you handled yourself this year. Stay hungry man, the great ones are never satisfied."

Chris Paul: "Even before you got into the league, I saw the type of work you put in, day in and day out. I know you're going to have an unbelievable career, I wish you'd let me get one of my middies off sooner or later over you."

David Robinson: "You've represented the Spurs, you've represented yourself, you've represented France. I couldn't be more proud of you, man."

Grant Hill: "Just wanted to say congratulations on a fantastic rookie season. To watch you come in with all the hype and all the talk, you've lived up to it."

Pau Gasol: "Keep working and encouraging your teammates, the results will come."

These are some of the greatest hoopers the game has ever seen, and they were all united in celebrating the feat that Wembanyama pulled off this season. It was an incredible gesture to honor an incredible rookie season, which definitely foreshadows greatness as he is not even close to his prime yet. 

This article first appeared on Fadeaway World and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.