Did a Rule Change Cost Victor Wembanyama an All-NBA Selection as a Rookie?
You may remember that during the 2023-24 season the San Antonio Spurs had two players in the four-team Rising Stars Challenge as part of All-Star Weekend. Victor Wembanyama was on one team mostly made up of rookies, and Jeremy Sochan was a replacement on another of mostly league sophomores. They didn’t meet in the finals, as Wembanyama’s team coached by Pau Gasol failed to advance. Sochan’s team, coached by Jalen Rose, didn’t have that problem and won the mini-tournament.
In terms of NBA accolades, it was one of the few things that seemed to elude Wembanyama, who became the first rookie to be named first-team All-Defense, and at age 20 the youngest in league history. As the Rookie of the Year, he was also a unanimous selection for the league’s All-Rookie Team.
However, one has to wonder if he might have been named All-NBA Third Team, if not for the changing of a rule that had stood since 1950.
The voting panel consisted of 99 broadcasters and writers, and it includes all of the biggest names in basketball journalism. However, a rule change went into effect last year regarding All-NBA voting, as positions weren’t considered for the first time. Previously, each team had to include two guards, two forwards and one center.
Making the third team were Labron James, Stephen Curry, Domantas Sabonis, Tyrese Haliburton and Phoenix’s Devin Booker. The makeup was two point guards, a shooting guard, a small forward and a center. It included only one big man, Sabonis, who averaged 19.4 points, 13.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
Wembanyama, who is listed as a forward/center on the Spurs roster despite being 7-4, averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, and led the league in blocked shots. Granted, there were plenty of big men on the first and second teams, and with two second-team votes to go with five third-team, he finished just behind Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and tied New Orleans’ Zion Williamson in the voting. But might it have been a little different under the old rules that dated back to 1950? Alas, we’ll never know.
Here’s a complete list of all NBA honors won over the years by the San Antonio Spurs.
NBA All–Star Games
1977 – George Gervin
1978 – George Gervin, Larry Kenon
1979 – George Gervin, Larry Kenon
1980 – George Gervin
1981 – George Gervin
1982 – George Gervin
1983 – George Gervin, Artis Gilmore
1984 – George Gervin
1985 – George Gervin
1986 – Artis Gilmore
1987 – Alvin Robertson
1988 – Alvin Robertson
1990 – David Robinson
1991 – David Robinson
1992 – David Robinson
1993 – Sean Elliott, David Robinson
1994 – David Robinson
1995 – David Robinson
1996 – Sean Elliott, David Robinson
1998 – Tim Duncan, David Robinson
2000 – Tim Duncan, David Robinson
2001 – Tim Duncan, David Robinson
2002 – Tim Duncan
2003 – Tim Duncan
2004 – Tim Duncan
2005 – Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili
2006 – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker
2007 – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker
2008 – Tim Duncan
2009 – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker
2010 – Tim Duncan
2011 – Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili
2012 – Tony Parker
2013 – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker
2014 – Tony Parker
2015 – Tim Duncan
2016 – LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard
2017 – Kawhi Leonard
2018 – LaMarcus Aldridge
2019 – LaMarcus Aldridge
2022 – Dejounte Murray
All–NBA First Team
77–78 – George Gervin
78–79 – George Gervin
79–80 – George Gervin
80–81 – George Gervin
81–82 – George Gervin
90–91 – David Robinson
91–92 – David Robinson
94–95 – David Robinson
95–96 – David Robinson
97–98 – Tim Duncan
98–99 – Tim Duncan
99–00 – Tim Duncan
00–01 – Tim Duncan
01–02 – Tim Duncan
02–03 – Tim Duncan
03–04 – Tim Duncan
04–05 – Tim Duncan
06–07 – Tim Duncan
12–13 – Tim Duncan
15-16 – Kawhi Leonard
16-17 – Kawhi Leonard
All–NBA Second Team
76–77 – George Gervin
82–83 – George Gervin
85–86 – Alvin Robertson
93–94 – David Robinson
97–98 – David Robinson
05–06 – Tim Duncan
07–08 – Tim Duncan
08–09 – Tim Duncan
11–12 – Tony Parker
12–13 – Tony Parker
13–14 – Tony Parker
17-18 – LaMarcus Aldridge
All–NBA Third Team
89–90 – David Robinson
92–93 – David Robinson
94–95 – Dennis Rodman
99–00 – David Robinson
00–01 – David Robinson
07–08 – Manu Ginobili
08–09 – Tony Parker
09–10 – Tim Duncan
10–11 – Manu Ginobili
14–15 – Tim Duncan
15-16 – LaMarcus Aldridge
NBA Rookie of the Year
89–90 – David Robinson
97–98 – Tim Duncan
23-24 – Victor Wembanyama
NBA All–Rookie First Team
87–88 – Greg Anderson
88–89 – Willie Anderson
89–90 – David Robinson
97–98 – Tim Duncan
01–02 – Tony Parker
10–11 – Gary Neal
11–12 – Kawhi Leonard
23-24 – Victor Wembanyama
NBA All–Rookie Second Team
89–90 – Sean Elliott
02–03 – Manu Ginobili
09–10 – DeJuan Blair
22–23 – Jeremy Sochan
NBA Defensive Player of the Year
85–86 – Alvin Robertson
91–92 – David Robinson
14-15 – Kawhi Leonard
15-16 – Kawhi Leonard
NBA All–Defensive First Team
86–87 – Alvin Robertson
90–91 – David Robinson
91–92 – David Robinson
94–95 – David Robinson, Dennis Rodman
95–96 – David Robinson
98–99 – Tim Duncan
99–00 – Tim Duncan
00–01 – Tim Duncan
01–02 – Tim Duncan
02–03 – Tim Duncan
03–04 – Bruce Bowen
04–05 – Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan
05–06 – Bruce Bowen
06–07 – Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan
07–08 – Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan
14–15 – Kawhi Leonard
15-16 – Kawhi Leonard
16-17 – Kawhi Leonard
23-24 – Victor Wembanyama
NBA All–Defensive Second Team
80–81 – George Johnson
85–86 – Alvin Robertson
87–88 – Alvin Robertson
88–89 – Alvin Robertson
89–90 – David Robinson
92–93 – David Robinson
93–94 – David Robinson, Dennis Rodman
97–98 – Tim Duncan, David Robinson
98–99 – David Robinson
01–02 – Bruce Bowen
02–03 – Bruce Bowen
03–04 – Tim Duncan
05–06 – Tim Duncan
08–09 – Tim Duncan
09–10 – Tim Duncan
12–13 – Tim Duncan
13–14 – Kawhi Leonard
14–15 – Tim Duncan
16-17 – Danny Green
17-18 – Dejounte Murray
NBA Sixth Man Award
07–08 – Manu Ginobili
NBA Sportsmanship Award
97–98 – Avery Johnson
00–01 – David Robinson
01–02 – Steve Smith
Most Improved Player
85–86 – Alvin Robertson
NBA IBM Award
89–90 – David Robinson
90–91 – David Robinson
93–94 – David Robinson
94–95 – David Robinson
95–96 – David Robinson
01–02 – Tim Duncan
NBA Executive of the Year
77–78 – Angelo Drossos
89–90 – Bob Bass
13–14 – R.C. Buford
15-16 – R.C. Buford
NBA Coach of the Year
02–03 – Gregg Popovich
11–12 – Gregg Popovich
13–14 – Gregg Popovich
See Also: Yes, Victor Wembanyama Has an NBA Title, Just Not the One You’re Thinking Of
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