Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama has appeared frustrated at times this season, but San Antonio sports fans aren’t buying ESPN commentators’ claims he’s ready to jump ship. Credit: Meradith Garcia

After being hit with chants of “overrated” during his first-ever game at Madison Square Garden, the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama has proven the naysayers wrong by landing the NBA’s Rookie of the Year (ROTY) award.

Indeed, Wembanyama won the recognition Monday by unanimous vote. ROTY’s winner is determined by a global panel of sports journalists.

The 7-foot-4 Frenchman is the third player in franchise history to win ROTY.  The other two were legendary Spurs David Robison in 1990 and Tim Duncan in 1998.

The award was announced by 1993 Rookie of the Year Shaquille O’Neal on TNT moments before tipoff for the New York Knicks’ 121-117 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

“My goals were always to help my team the best that I could and get better as the year went on,” Wembanyama told Shaq and other Inside the NBA commentators. “I knew that in order to do this, I would have to be individually good on the court and dominant. So, it was a huge thing for me and a big thing to get. It’s always been really important, so I’m glad it’s finally official.”

Wembanyama averaged a dominant 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.58 blocks per game. His average playing time was 29.7 minutes. Despite his amazing season, Wembanyama said he’s ready to get back to work and continue improving his game.

“There’s a lot I want to work on, there’s a lot [Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich] wants me to work on and the coaches, so I am excited,” he said. “One big thing I can tell you is [I am] already working on my balance and my strength — learning to know my body better.”

Wemby may not be done collecting awards this season, though. He’s also nominated for Defensive Player of the Year, which will be announced Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CST before the Boston Celtics take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on TNT.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed

Related Stories

This article appears in May 1-14, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...