Victor Wembanyama is already ‘best defensive player ever’ claims Lonzo Ball praising Spurs rookie

Victor Wembanyama was unanimously named Rookie of the Year in the 2023/24 NBA season.

Victor Wembanyama is already ‘best defensive player ever’ claims Lonzo Ball praising Spurs rookie

Lonzo Ball says Victor Wembanyama is the best defender ever

Being the first pick, Victor Wembanyama was able to move past his expectations as a rookie, to say the least. The 7’4 center is a defensive force on the court due to his unreal wingspan. Like many, the Chicago Bulls star Lonzo Ball couldn’t help but heap huge praise on the Spurs rookie.

Victor Wembanyama came extremely close to winning the DPOY award but lost it to Rudy Gobert. According to Lonzo Ball, it shouldn’t be looked at as a disappointment. Ball felt the Spurs center was beyond that, as he named Wemby the best defender ever. 

He might be the best defensive player we've ever seen… He got an average like of 5 to 6 blocks one year. That's gon be O.D… He has the chance to be the best player ever, I'll say that right now.
Lonzo Ball via The WAE Show
YouTube video

Lonzo Ball and his co-hosts further listed Wemby’s skills, including his handling skills and performance in France before joining the NBA. Ball then explained that Wemby’s game against Giannis Antetokounmpo changed his opinion about the San Antonio Spurs rookie.

FS Video

With his 21.4 points, Wemby averaged 3.6 blocks per game, the most by any player in the 2023-24 regular season. The player also had 1.2 steals per game, which amazed Ball, who aims to make a comeback this year. Moreover, many other players consider Wemby the best defender in the league.

Victor Wembanyama was named ‘best defender’ by NBA players

Many did not like Gobert winning DPOY over the 20-year-old. As such, the NBA players chose their favorite long before the award was announced. The Spurs rookie won the Athletic’s anonymous poll, which was voted by 142 players.

Wembanyama received the most votes, 15.2%, as Gobert did not even make the top 5 on the list. The poll speaks volumes as players have experienced the defense of Wemby themselves on the basketball court, unlike the voters for the DPOY award. During the season, many including former DPOY Draymond Green, praised Wemby and chose him for the award.

However, despite not winning the award, Wembanyama made history as a rookie when he joined the NBA All-Defensive First team. It is safe to say Wembanyama will likely win the award for years to come after missing out on it in his first year.

In Case You Missed It: