Opinion: Spurs center Victor Wembanyama wins 2026 NBA Defensive Player of the Year with controversy

According to the Associated Press on Monday, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama of Le Chesnay, France has been named the 2025-26 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. This is the second major NBA award for the former first overall pick. He was previously the NBA rookie of the year in 2023-24. 

In 2025-26, Wembanyama led the NBA in blocks per game (3.1) and total blocks (197). It was the third straight season that Wembanyama led the NBA in blocks per game and total blocks. He had 3.6 blocks per game in 2023-24 and 3.8 blocks per game in 2024-25. Wembanyama also had 254 blocks in 2023-24 and 176 blocks in 2024-25.

By being a blocking machine, it should have been a slam dunk and no surprise whatsoever that Wembanyama be awarded the NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season. However, the NBA has a stupid rule and says players must play a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for individual awards.

In most websites where statistics are kept, Wembanyama only played 64 regular season games. So, why is he eligible? Well, it is because he played the championship game of the NBA Cup, even though it is an exhibition game.

So why does this midseason exhibition game count in Wembanyama’s unofficial total game totals, but not the statistics from the game? Good question. The game did not matter at all when it came to the regular season standings. It just appears the NBA is trying once again to make the NBA Cup championship game important when it has no importance at all. The bottom line is if Wembanyama’s appearance in the NBA Cup final counts, the preseason appearances before the regular season should count too. Those games have equal meaning to the NBA Cup. No meaning at all.