Spurs Star Victor Wembanyama Secures End-of-Season Award Eligibility

SAN ANTONIO — After a long season of waiting, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will officially have a chance to expand his trophy collection.

Chasing the NBA's 65-game requirement for end-of-season awards, Wembanyama entered Friday night's contest against the Dallas Mavericks with 64 games to his name. He needed one more contest with at least 20 minutes logged to qualify.

His 30 points scored in that time frame served only as bonus. The Frenchman joined former Milwaukee Bucks guard Cam Thomas as the second player this season to score 30 points in 20 minutes or less, and the 10th player to do so since 1967.

He then went for 40 in under 30 minutes, adding 13 rebounds, five assists and two blocks to cap a 139-120 victory. If his rib was bothering him, you wouldn't have been able to tell.

"It was a good hit and he was sore," Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. "Typically, when you get hit pretty good and you're sore, it doesn't go away right away. And it's a pain tolerance thing. I'm sure he'll be sore tomorrow, but he made it out good.”

Apr 10, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) goes up to dunk ahead of Dallas Mavericks center Moussa Cisse (30) during the first half at Frost Bank Center. | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Wembanyama will now be eligible to win the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year Award, as well as land a spot on its First Team All-NBA squad and All-Defensive First Team. Though the odds are stacked against him, he will also qualify as a league MVP candidate.

"It feels like it's a box that's checked," Wembanyama said of meeting the threshold. "Lots of things happen, and that's a good conclusion to it.”

San Antonio has one game remaining in their regular season set for Sunday evening when the Denver Nuggets roll into town. Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and the rest of the Spurs' core rotation's statuses for that contest remain in flux, per Johnson.

If Friday was the final outing of Wembanyama's third regular season?

"I wouldn't be surprised," he said.

The Spurs (62-19) clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference shortly after recording the franchise's eighth 60-win season since 1973. They will face the winner of the 7/8 Play-In Tournament game, set for 9 p.m. on April 14 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.

The 2026 NBA Playoffs are set to begin on April 18.