
Spurs' Wembanyama captures first career DPOY
Victor Wembanyama captures his first NBA Defensive Player of the Year award!
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs has been named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season, leading the league with 3.1 blocks per game. Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons finished third in the voting, having a standout season with an average of 2.0 steals per game.
Detroit — The NBA announced on Monday evening that San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama has been named the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025-26 regular season. Wembanyama delivered one of the most dominant performances in league history. He averaged a league-high 3.1 blocks per game with 197 total rejections. Wembanyama also notched 11.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals.
Wembanyama won the award unanimously. Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Chet Holmgren finished in second place, while Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons came in third.
Although Thompson fell short of winning the league honor, it does not diminish the success of his career year. As a two-time Defensive Player of the Month for both January and March, he led the league in steals, averaging 2.0 steals per game with a total of 146 steals this season. Additionally, he averaged 69 blocks and 5.7 rebounds over 73 games.
Thompson was vital to the Pistons finishing the regular season with the league's second-best defense, posting a rating of 108.9.
Detroit Pistons guard/forward Ausar Thompson (9) knocks the ball from Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) in the first half. Detroit Pistons vs Los Angeles Lakers, at Little Caesars Arena on Monday, March 23, 2026, in Detroit, Mich.
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season.
Ausar Thompson averaged 2.0 steals per game, totaling 146 steals, along with 69 blocks and 5.7 rebounds over 73 games.
The Detroit Pistons finished the regular season with the second-best defense in the league, posting a defensive rating of 108.9.

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"It's the difference in personnel on how he is defending and where he picks them up, how he has been able to read situationally and the uniqueness and how he can apply pressure to those guys," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "He is a student of the game. He watches so many films of the guys he is going to be defending, learning their tendencies and how he can be disruptive. He has taken a huge step."
The Defensive Player of the Year award is the first of three nominations for the Pistons. On Sunday, coach J.B. Bickerstaff was named a top-three finalist for Coach of the Year, and Jalen Duren was a finalist for Most Improved Player of the Year. The winner of the Most Improved Player award will be announced on Friday.
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit Pistons' Ausar Thompson finishes third in Defensive Player of the Year