San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama was named the NBA Rookie of the Year via a unanimous decision on Monday.

The talented French athlete bagged all 99 top-position votes from a group of media judges casting their choice for the accolade, joining the ranks of Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns as absolute champions of the honor

Chet Holmgren, the center from the Oklahoma City Thunder, put up a strong challenge by clinching 98 out of a possible 99 second-place votes.

Wembanyama lived up to the buzz surrounding him after being chosen as the first pick in the 2023 draft. Throughout 71 games, he showcased an average of 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.2 steals. His 254 blocks in total topped the charts.

Among all NBA newcomers, Wembanyama dominated in points, rebounds, and blocks, racking up the most double-doubles (43) and a couple of triple-doubles.

He made his name in basketball history as the youngest athlete to achieve a 5×5 performance, achieving 27 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, five blocks, and five steals against the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 23.

Securing a milestone, Wembanyama became the pioneer in NBA history to amass 1,500 points, 700 rebounds, 250 assists, 250 blocked shots, and 100 3-pointers in a single season.

He marked himself as the premier French recipient of this honor and the third entity from the Spurs, aligning with the esteemed status of David Robinson and Tim Duncan.

Also among the candidates were Brandon Miller from Charlotte (86 overall points, embracing one runner-up nod), Jaime Jaquez Jr. from Miami (10 points), Brandin Podziemski from Golden State (four points), and Dereck Lively II from Dallas (one point).