Spurs' Victor Wembanyama gets real on who to credit for unanimous NBA DPOY win originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Individual accolades are great but basketball is a team sport. Victor Wembanyama lives this exact reality after three years in the San Antonio Spurs system.

From Coach Mitch Johnson to Coach Gregg Popovich, he has been great at developing while also adapting to a positive team culture. It all showed when he was declared the first unanimous NBA DPOY.Wembanyama credits Spurs system more for unanimous NBA DPOY winThe Spurs way of winning was always about playing a team. Tim Duncan, David Robinson, Bruce Bowen, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili were forged that way by Coach Gregg Popovich.

It did not change when Victor Wembanyama started with them and Coach Mitch Johnson took over.Despite being a sole unanimous NBA DPOY awardee, Wembanyama posits that he would not be able to do it without his team. He embodied the true Spurs way of winning which was instilled by Coach Popovich and carried over by Coach Johnson, via NBA on NBC."I've had the chance to have great coaches over my career that have taught me great habits on defense and my shot blocking, especially since we're talking about it, is something I've been working on forever. It's probably the area in the game where I feel most comfortable," Wembanyama declared.The Spurs have been a great defense for the 2025-26 season.

They have the third-best defensive rating in the league which amounts to 111.3. Coach Johnson also runs a defense that allows only 111.5 points per game which is eighth in the NBA. Wembanyama helps a lot in keeping those numbers high and his unanimous NBA DPOY is proof of that."We can we often overlook the team aspect, because I'm sitting here, I happen to be the guy that's put in the spotlight, but I am part of the system, and I couldn't get this award and I couldn't do what I do if it wasn't for my teammates, who actually do the rotations and allow me to be in the spotlight...If it wasn't for my coaching staff, you know, Sean Sweeney, the defensive coach of our team, sitting here with us right now, Mitch Johnson as well.

You notice I fit in a system, meaning I happen to be the guy who benefits from it. But we cannot forget about these guys either," the Spurs big man declared.Averages of 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and a steal are hard to reach. Wembanyama truly is in good hands in the Spurs system that Coach Popovich built and Coach Johnson continues.More Spurs News:How Gregg Popovich plays a pivotal role in Spurs, Victor Wembanyama NBA Playoffs runSpurs' Victor Wembanyama shatters multiple NBA history records with DPOY award winHow Hakeem Olajuwon's message led Victor Wembanyama to unanimous NBA DPOY win