Victor Wembanyama was perhaps the most obvious No. 1 pick in NBA history when the San Antonio Spurs selected him in the 2023 NBA Draft. The only other person this century who could compare in terms of being a no-brainer No. 1 pick was LeBron James, who the Cleveland Cavaliers selected 20 years prior.
And Wemby has lived up to this hype during his NBA career. The 7’4″ center has proven to be an absolute on offense, has already become the best defender in the league, and has turned the Spurs into a franchise that was a bottom-dweller in the Western Conference into a true championship contender.
And the fact that Wemby is still just 22 years old and still has a long career ahead of him (so long as he stays healthy) suggests that he’s on a similar trajectory to LeBron when it comes to being one of the game’s all-time greats.
Unfortunately, Wemby’s health suffered a blow during the Spurs’ April 21 game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He hit his chin on the hardwood floor while going after a loose ball and was visibly shaken up. It was then reported that he had entered concussion protocol and was not going to return to Tuesday night’s game.
Wemby earned the first of what’s sure to be the first of many NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards for the 2026 season, which was announced on April 20.
He then did an interview with “NBA Showtime” on Monday to discuss this moment, and his mother, Élodie de Fautereau, made a cameo.
“It feels great. My Mom is sitting next to me!” Wembanyama said when asked how it felt to win his first big NBA individual award. At this point, his mom came on camera and offered a wave, which prompted smiles all around.
He then added, “[My mom] said something very true: ‘The real struggle may have been getting to 65 games.'”
There’s no question that Wemby’s mom (who is 6’3″) has been one of his biggest supporters to this point, and deserves to be by his side as he accepts this major award. And she’s surely one of the most worried people about her son’s status after that tough fall he took during Tuesday’s game.
Now the hope is that Wembanyama won’t miss any added time because of the injury.
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