NEW YORK – San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has won the National Basketball Association (NBA) Rookie of the Year award, the league announced on May 6, marking the first time a Frenchman has captured the honour.

The 20-year-old centre, a 2.24m prodigy who was the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, a league-high 3.6 blocked shots and 1.2 steals a game in his impressive debut campaign.