San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama has achieved another milestone in his defensive dominance, earning every single first-place vote for the NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league revealed Friday evening. This recognition comes after the 22-year-old star received the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year honor just last month.
Joining Wembanyama on the elite first team are Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, Detroit’s Ausar Thompson, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert, and Boston’s Derrick White. Notably, Holmgren faced off against Wembanyama during the Western Conference finals.
Both Holmgren and Thompson ranked as the second and third place finishers in the Defensive Player of the Year race, trailing behind Wembanyama, who topped the NBA with 3.1 blocks per game for his third consecutive season leading that category.
The All-Defensive First Team voting results showed Holmgren in second place with 93 first-place votes and four second-place selections, totaling 190 points. Thompson claimed third with 72 first-place votes and 22 third-place votes for 166 points. Gobert earned fourth place with 151 points from 61 first-place and 29 second-place votes, while White rounded out the top five with 146 points from 58 first-place and 30 second-place votes.
The All-Defensive Second Team features Oklahoma City’s Cason Wallace alongside Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, New York’s OG Anunoby, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, and Miami’s Bam Adebayo.
Adebayo received additional recognition as the NBA Social Justice Champion, earning the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy. The league will also contribute $100,000 to the Bam, Books & Brotherhood Foundation in his honor.
“I accept this award not just for myself, but for every voice that has gone unheard and every person working behind the scenes to create a more just and compassionate world,” Adebayo stated in a team announcement.
The other contenders for the social justice award included Boston’s Jaylen Brown, San Antonio’s Harrison Barnes, Cleveland’s Larry Nance Jr., and Detroit’s Tobias Harris.
