Wembanyama Makes NBA History As First Rookie On All-Defense First Team

Photo: Instagram/Victor Wembanyama

Victor Wembanyama, the rising star of San Antonio, has secured a remarkable feat in the NBA, making him stand out from the crowd.

Wembanyama's recent achievement sets a new milestone in NBA history, as he becomes the first rookie player ever to land a spot on the league's All-Defensive first team. The announcement came on Tuesday, with Wembanyama receiving nods on an impressive 98 out of 99 ballots cast.

Leading the defensive charge alongside Wembanyama is Rudy Gobert from Minnesota, who secured his position as the Defensive Player of the Year and was the only unanimous selection for the first team. Joining them are Bam Adebayo from Miami, Herb Jones from New Orleans, and Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers.

Photo: Instagram/Victor Wembanyama

Reflecting on Wembanyama's exceptional performance, Adebayo remarked, "Coming into this league, obviously he had high expectations because he's 7-3 and shooting step-back 3s. I think a lot of people paid attention more to that than what he actually did on the defensive end. So, for him to get first-team, first come around, it's obviously a great accolade for him."

The second-team All-Defense picks feature notable names like Alex Caruso from Chicago, Jalen Suggs from Orlando, Jaden McDaniels from Minnesota, and Derrick White and Jrue Holiday from Boston.

For Gobert, it marks his seventh All-Defense selection, all on the first team. Davis adds to his accolades with his fifth All-Defense recognition, while Adebayo celebrates his fifth selection and first appearance on the first team. Herb Jones secures his debut on the esteemed list.

Expressing his gratitude, Adebayo shared, “I feel it's a long time coming, obviously. Just staying in this moment, enjoying it, blessed to be able to be one of the ones selected.”

Wembanyama's achievement places him among an elite group of rookies in NBA history, including legendary names like Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Manute Bol, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, all of whom earned spots on the All-Defensive Team in their debut seasons.

The anticipation now shifts to the unveiling of the All-NBA team on Wednesday, where Wembanyama could potentially make history once again by becoming the first rookie to earn that distinction in over two decades, following in the footsteps of the legendary Tim Duncan.

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Source: Yahoo Sports 

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