Victor Wembanyama had an unprecedented year in NBA history.
Others scored more points, others grabbed more rebounds, others had more blocks, others had more steals.
But never has a player posted all these averages in the first year of his career – at least 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per game.
The unsurprising official announcement was made on Monday, when the Frenchman from the San Antonio Spurs was announced as the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.
He is the third player from the club to achieve the honour, after David Robinson in 1990 and Tim Duncan in 1998 – like Wembanyama, centers chosen first in the draft.
Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets were the other finalists for Rookie of the Year.
“Leading the rookies in most categories and finishing at the top of the league in blocks, those are things I’m pretty proud of,” Wembanyama said at the end of the season.
Wembanyama is only the fourth player and first rookie to finish a season with at least 1,500 points, 250 assists and 250 blocks. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has done it five times, Hakeem Olajuwon twice and Robinson twice.
No one has done it since 1993-94, when Olajuwon and Robinson each delivered such a season.
Wembanyama is also being considered for Defensive Player of the Year, which will be announced Tuesday.
Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat are the other finalists.
The NBA will unveil the Most Valuable Player on Wednesday among Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, or Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.