Latest / The Sports Hangover Daily / Wemby Makes History as First Unanimous Defensive Player of the Year | Apr 21, 2026
Transcript
- Victor Wembanyama just won Defensive Player of the Year — unanimously. Every single voter. All one hundred first-place votes. The dude is twenty-two years old and already doing things nobody's ever done in this league. That's not hype. That's just what's happening. Welcome to The Sports Hangover Daily, I'm Michael Benatar. Alright, let's start with Wemby because this deserves the full spotlight. Victor Wembanyama is your NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and he didn't just win it — he was the first unanimous selection in the history of the award. One hundred out of one hundred first-place votes. He led the league in blocks per game at three point one, led in total blocks at one ninety-seven, and he did it for the THIRD consecutive season. He's twenty-two. I want you to think about that. Most guys at twenty-two are still figuring out rotations and trying not to foul out. Wemby is out here warping the geometry of the sport on the defensive end. Chet Holmgren finished second. Ausar Thompson from Detroit came in third. And honestly? Neither of them was close. This wasn't a debate. This was a coronation. And here's what makes this feel different from other young superstars collecting hardware — Wemby won this on the unsexy side of the ball. He's not out here doing it with forty-point games and step-back threes. I mean, he can do that too. But this award is about intimidation, rim protection, and making every opposing offense rethink their entire game plan when they see seven foot three standing in the paint. He's also an MVP finalist alongside SGA and Jokic. The Spurs have their guy. And right now, nobody else has anything like him. Let's get into the playoff action from last night because we had some REALLY good games. The Atlanta Hawks went into New York and stole Game Two, one oh seven to one oh six. CJ McCollum was unbelievable — thirty-two points. The Hawks won the fourth quarter twenty-eight to fifteen. That's a thirteen-point swing in twelve minutes to flip a game on the road at MSG. The Knicks had this. They were in control. And then they just — didn't. Series is tied at one apiece heading back to Atlanta, and if you're a Knicks fan, that one stings. You had home court. You had the crowd. And CJ McCollum ripped it away from you. Over in Cleveland, the Cavs took care of business again. One fifteen to one oh five over Toronto. Donovan Mitchell went for thirty, seven boards, five assists. Cleveland leads two to nothing and they look locked in on both ends. Toronto's gotta find some answers quick because this thing could get away from them in a hurry. The best game of the night might've been in Denver. Minnesota came back from NINETEEN down to beat the Nuggets one nineteen to one fourteen. Anthony Edwards dropped thirty. Nineteen points down and they clawed all the way back. That's the kind of resilience that scares you if you're Denver. You had them buried and they wouldn't stay down. Series is knotted at one-one. Now let's talk about the NFL because it's draft week and the rumor mill is spinning at full speed. The biggest piece of actual news — A.J. Brown to the Patriots looks like it's happening. Schefter reported the Eagles are likely to deal Brown to New England after June first. That June first date matters because of the cap math. A pre-June first trade would slam Philly with over forty-three million in dead cap in twenty-twenty-six. After June first, it spreads out and becomes manageable. Brown's not expected at Eagles offseason workouts. The writing's on the wall. Philly's already brought in Hollywood Brown, Elijah Moore, and traded for Dontayvion Wicks. They're moving on. And New England has the cap space to absorb it. So if you're a Pats fan — hey, you finally get a real number one receiver. Congrats. The Cowboys locked up Brandon Aubrey with a four-year, twenty-eight million dollar extension. Seven million per year for a kicker. Twenty million guaranteed. That's the richest kicker deal in NFL history. And you know what? He's worth it. The dude is automatic. Ten million coming his way in twenty-twenty-six alone. Aaron Rodgers STILL hasn't told the Steelers what he's doing. The draft is Thursday. Pittsburgh has Will Howard and Mason Rudolph on the roster and twelve picks to work with. At some point, you gotta stop waiting by the phone and start making plans. This is getting ridiculous. And the Giants — after trading Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals for the tenth overall pick, they're now sitting at five AND ten in the first round. GM Joe Schoen flew to Arizona to have dinner with receiver Jordan Tyson and watch his workout. That tells you a lot about where their heads are at with that second top-ten pick. Here's my Hangover Take for today. The Knicks are in trouble, and not just because of last night. Losing Game Two at home to the Hawks — a six seed — after leading comfortably in the fourth quarter is the kind of loss that exposes something deeper. This isn't about one bad quarter. This is about a team that doesn't have a closer right now. When the game got tight, Atlanta had CJ McCollum taking over. Who did New York have? They went cold when it mattered most, and that's a pattern you don't want heading into a road series. I'm not saying they're done. But I AM saying if you can't protect a lead at MSG in April, what are you gonna do in May? Atlanta smells blood. And they should. That's your hangover. Go hydrate. I'll see you tomorrow.