Victor Wembanyama is proud after scoring career-highs with 50 points and eight 3-pointers, but says his main focus is to keep helping the San Antonio Spurs improve.

The Spurs registered a 139-130 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, with the Frenchman leading the charge as they improved their home record to 5-2.

At 20 years and 314 days, Wembanyama is the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points, behind only Brandon Jennings, LeBron James and Devin Booker.

His previous best was 40 points in an overtime victory over the New York Knicks on March 29.

Having become the eighth player in franchise history to score 50 points and making at least six 3-pointers for the third straight game, Wembanyama is in strong form so early in the season.

Though he likes to celebrate the milestones, he is already considering how he can overshadow them in the future.

"I love to celebrate the small wins and the big wins for a certain amount of time," he said. "But we're already locked in on the Lakers.

"I'm going to give myself a little bit of time to reflect. It's definitely a big milestone. It's kind of a private club, it's certainly something I'm proud of.

"My first thought is, eventually, I want the rest of our performances, the rest of our games, to overshadow this one. I want to make it where in the future, [this is] just another one."

Wembanyama was influential throughout his time on the court but inflicted the most damage in the third quarter. He shot a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor and 4-of-4 from long range for 19 points with four rebounds, one assist and a block.

"The big fella, man, when he comes out with that mindset, it's a hard opportunity to deal with," Spurs forward Julian Champagnie said of his team-mate.

"Big praise to him, big shoutout to him. He's working on his game. I don't know what it was that he took personal, but he took something personal, went out there and hooped."

Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 36 points and sparked a second-half rally that lifted the still-unbeaten Cleveland Cavaliers to a 119-113 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

Cleveland fought back from a nine-point deficit late in the third quarter to become only the eighth team in NBA history to begin a season 12-0. The Cavaliers are the only team to win each of its first 12 games while scoring at least 110 points in all of those contests.

Darius Garland added 17 points and Evan Mobley had 15 with 11 rebounds for Cleveland, which once again received a big contribution from its second unit. Reserves Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and Ty Jerome each recorded 12 points, with Jerome dishing out six assists as well.

Zach LaVine had 26 points on 12-of-20 shooting in his second outing back from a three-game absence, but Chicago was hurt by 20 turnovers and lost for the fifth time in six games.

Nikola Vucevic and Coby White each finished with 20 points for the Bulls, while Josh Giddey scored 18 to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists.

Cleveland trailed 85-76 with four minutes left in the third quarter before getting back into it with a 9-0 run led by its bench. LeVert and Dean Wade started the flurry with back-to-back 3-pointers before Niang converted a three-point play to tie the game with 2:53 left in the period.

The teams were again tied at 106-106 with five minutes to go, but the Cavs put together a 9-2 spurt capped by LeVert's 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining to go ahead for good.

Cleveland owned a 52-42 lead midway through the second quarter before the Bulls answered with a 14-2 run to take a 56-54 edge with four minutes to play before half-time.

Gilgeous-Alexander scores career-high 45 as Thunder bounce back

One night after losing one of their star players for an extended period, the Oklahoma City Thunder returned to their winning ways behind a huge performance from another.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander racked up a career-high 45 points as Oklahoma City got back in the win column with a 134-128 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Thunder were coming off Sunday's 127-116 home defeat to the Golden State Warriors in which starting center Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic fracture that will sideline him at least eight weeks. With the 7-footer unavailable, the Clippers recorded a 47-29 rebounding advantage while also going 20 of 37 (54.1 per cent) from 3-point range.

Oklahoma City still prevailed in large part due to Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished 13 of 21 from the field and 15 of 16 from the foul line while adding nine assists.

The Thunder also received a big 28-point, eight-rebound, six-assist effort from Jalen Williams and 19 points from Luguentz Dort to overcome a 31-point display from Los Angeles' Norman Powell, who went 5 of 8 from beyond the arc.

Los Angeles had its four-game winning streak snapped despite Ivica Zubac's 22 points and 14 rebounds and a near triple-double from James Harden, who tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.

The Clippers couldn't stop Gilgeous-Alexander, though, as the two-time All-Star put up 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half to propel the Thunder to a 66-53 lead at intermission.

Oklahoma City's margin swelled to 20 points in the third quarter, though Los Angeles closed out the period with an 11-2 run to pull within 99-94 on Powell's 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

The Clippers cut the lead to two late when Zubac converted a three-point play to make the score 130-128 with 42.3 seconds left. Gilgeous-Alexander made two free throws on the other end, however, before Willams sealed the outcome with a dunk off a Harden turnover.

Wembanyama dominates as Spurs cruise past Kings

Victor Wembanyama joined an elite group of NBA players with a 34-point, 14-rebound effort that carried the San Antonio Spurs to a 116-96 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The reigning NBA Rookie of the Year added six assists in his 82nd career game and became only the sixth player in league history to record 1,700 points, 800 rebounds and 300 assists over a first full season. That list includes such legends as Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Larry Bird.

Chris Paul contributed 12 points and 11 assists for San Antonio, which had lost three of its previous four games but got back on track by making a season-high 22 shots from 3-point range. Wembanyama led the way in that category as well by going 6 of 12 from beyond the arc.

The Kings, coming off an overtime win at Phoenix on Sunday, built a 31-22 lead early in the second quarter but relinquished it before the end of the first half. 

San Antonio answered with a 10-2 run to cut its deficit to one, then closed out the half with seven straight points to own a 60-55 edge on Paul's 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Kings then shot just 25 per cent in the third quarter while being outscored by a 24-16 margin for the period as the Spurs took an 84-71 lead into the fourth. Their margin never dipped below double-digits over the final 12 minutes.

De'Aaron Fox paced Sacramento with 24 points, while Domantas Sabonis had 23 points and 12 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 21 points in the loss.

Victor Wembanyama made six three-pointers for the Utah Jazz, but could not drag the San Antonio Spurs over the line.

Wembanyama finished with a game-leading 24 points on Saturday, and marked the third NBA game of his career in which he has had at least five three-pointers and five blocks, which moved him level with Kristaps Porzingis for the second most in the competition's history, behind Raef LaFrentz (four).

Yet the Frenchman's career-best haul of threes could not help the Spurs avoid a 111-110 defeat.

It is now three defeats in the space of four games for San Antonio, and Wembanyama knows there is much more to come.

"My rhythm's there for sure," Wembanyama said.

"But there's so much more to be gained. It's just a matter of how well we can combine everything together. Once we combine it all, it's great.

"But it's about how often we can do it, and this is how we can keep piling up wins."

Victor Wembanyama was not satisfied after his 5x5 line helped the San Antonio Spurs to victory over the Utah Jazz.

Wembanyama posted 25 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, five steals and five blocks in Thursday's 106-88 win.

In the process, he became just the third player with multiple 5x5 games in the NBA, after Hakeem Olajuwon (six) and Andrei Kirilenko (three).

But Wembanyama said it just shows what he can do when he is at his best.

He said: "It tells me that I need to get my standards up.

"It tells me that I'm able to help my team in all of those areas and that this should be a consistent thing.

"As I've said before, I thought this was a game that we must have. So I was glad that I was able to help my team in every area."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said: "We want him to be able to do everything.

"We want him to be able to isolate and shoot the ball. We want him to do the whole deal.

"We just can't do it all at once. It depends on the situation and what is going on."

Klay Thompson was delighted with his "great" debut, after setting a new franchise record in the Dallas Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs.

He got 22 points, seven rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes, with eighteen of those points coming from 3-pointers, a record for a Mavericks player.

Thompson, who left the Golden State Warriors after 13 years in the close season, helped push the Mavericks to a 120-109 victory on Thursday.

"Great debut," Thompson said.

"It's only one game in October, but it feels good just to get that first one out of the way.

"I had a ton of excitement, really just an awesome feeling. And you only get the first time of something so often."

Victor Wembanyama, meanwhile, finished with 17 points on 5-of-18 shooting with nine rebounds, one assist and a game-high-tying four turnovers to open his second season with the Spurs.

Due to his involvement in the Paris Olympics, Wembanyama was limited to fewer than 40 minutes in preseason, and he admitted he felt that in their season opener.

"Some moments felt great," Wembanyama said. "A little hard conditioning-wise at first, of course [as] I expected.

"But I think we had some good basketball moments and some really bad ones.

"None of us really have played four games since [the] middle of the summer for me. It's a struggle.

"Every player in the NBA goes through it. Conditioning is not an excuse [for missed shots]. I'll have different weapons we need to know when to use.

"So, for the missed shots, it's more getting used to taking shots, getting used to again taking shots in a game."

While the San Antonio Spurs' 2023-24 season was all about experimentation, their upcoming campaign must be about getting results, says Victor Wembanyama.

Wembanyama was named Rookie of the Year last season after being selected first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft by the Spurs.

He averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game last term, but the Spurs still missed the playoffs for a fifth straight year.

After finishing 22-60 last year, San Antonio's young team must take a step forward when they begin 2024-25 against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, believes Wembanyama.

"Last year was just a lot of experimenting," the 20-year-old said. "Here, we want to perform. First minute, first play of the game. It's very different.

"I'm learning, and I'm worried for the opponents in a couple of years." 

Head coach Gregg Popovich, who is entering his 28th season in the role, says players have been encouraged to take more responsibility this term. 

"I think, if anything, it's a little less tolerance," Popovich said. 

"Since the start of camp, we have been a little bit more disciplined in the sense of accountability, knowing that mistakes happen too often, we're telling players they need to understand that by now."

Stephen Curry says he feels "blessed" to have won his first Olympic gold medal after leading the United States to a 98-87 win over France on Saturday.

Curry shot 8-of-13 from 3-point range in a late masterclass as Team USA held off a late charge from France, sinking four of those after Victor Wembanyama had narrowed their lead to just three points.

It was the USA's fifth straight Olympic gold medal, though Curry's first as he shone on his debut at the Paris Games, and he is cherishing the victory.

"I've been blessed," Curry told NBC after the game. "This ranks very high in terms of the excitement and the sense of relief in getting to the finish line.

"I knew if I got to my spot [to make those late jumps] I could knock it down."

Wembanyama finished with a game-high 26 points for France, while Guerschon Yabusele also had 20, with 15 of those coming in the first half.

Despite falling just short in their late comeback, Wembanyama was in high spirits after claiming silver, though he already has his sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

"I never dreamed of this moment," said Wembanyama. "It is incredible. I couldn't have asked for a better team, better coaches.

"The games were really high intensity, and we could have lost by 20 points, but we kept fighting. I will be going for gold in four years' time."

Team USA claimed their fifth straight Olympic gold in men's basketball with a 98-87 victory over France in Saturday's final, with Stephen Curry starring with 24 points. 

Steve Kerr's star-studded United States side required a thrilling comeback to beat Nikola Jokic's Serbia in the semi-finals on Thursday, but a far better start put them on course for glory against the hosts in Saturday's gold-medal match.

The USA went into half-time with a nine-point lead thanks to some excellent early work from Devin Booker, though Guerschon Yabusele's 15 first-half points kept France in it, the highlight being a poster dunk on LeBron James.

France shot just 3-of-16 from field range through the first two quarters but got hot in the third quarter, outscoring the USA 25-23 to give themselves hope of a comeback.

Roared on by a vocal crowd at Bercy Arena – where Joel Embiid received plenty of jeers after rejecting the opportunity to represent France – the hosts made up more ground early in the fourth, thanks primarily to the efforts of Victor Wembanyama.

The NBA Rookie of the Year finished with a game-high 26 points – his first 20-point haul at the Paris Games – while also adding seven rebounds, dragging France to within three points with just under three minutes remaining. 

However, Curry took charge from there, quietening the crowd with a majestic 3-pointer, his fifth of the game, and adding a further three jumpers before the buzzer.

The Golden State Warriors star finished with 24 points and was 8-of-13 from 3-point range, having also produced an incredible 36-point performance in Thursday's win over Serbia.

A couple of Kevin Durant free throws and a Booker layup helped the USA stetch their lead in the dying stages, claiming a record-extending 17th Olympic gold in men's basketball.

France, meanwhile, had to settle for a third silver in men's basketball, having also been beaten finalists at London 1948 and Sydney 2000.

Guerschon Yabusele starred for France as they confirmed their place in back-to-back Olympic gold medal matches in men's basketball, beating Germany 73-69 in an enthralling semi-final on Thursday. 

Yabusele, who plays his domestic basketball with Real Madrid in Spain, top scored with 17 points to lead the hosts, who were silver medallists in Tokyo three years ago, to another final.

Isaia Cordinier added 16 points to France's total, while San Antonio Spurs star and NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama had 11 points and seven rebounds.  

Dennis Schroder led for Germany with 18 points, with Fritz Wagner the only other player to reach double figures against the Olympic hosts. 

Germany's loss brought an end to their incredible recent run stretching back to last year's World Cup, having won 12 consecutive games in major international competitions.

France will now face either the United States or Serbia in Saturday's final, with LeBron James and company hoping to win Team USA's 17th gold in men's basketball.

France are through to their second consecutive Olympic semi-final after brushing aside Canada 82-73 in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Canada were unbeaten coming into this game after a strong showing in the competition so far, but had no answers against the hosts and their raucous home support.

Canada's game plan limited Victor Wembanyama to a supporting role as he scored just seven points, but that allowed Guerschon Yabusele and Isaia Cordinier to shine as they scored 22 and 20 points respectively.

France made a strong start, storming into a 19-point lead at the start of the second half, though Canada clawed themselves back to within five points with only four minutes remaining - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led them with 27 points.

The comeback soon stalled though, as Evan Fournier put together seven quick points to send France cruising into the next round as they aim to better their silver medal from the Tokyo Olympics.

They will face Germany for a chance to play in the gold-medal match, while Canada have now failed to make it to the final four at the Olympics since 1984.

Victor Wembanyama scored eight of his 18 points in overtime to ensure France edged Japan 94-90 to maintain their unbeaten start at the Paris Olympics. 

Japan looked set to cause an unlikely upset against the hosts, but Matthew Strazel's four-point play with 10 seconds of the fourth quarter remaining spared their blushes.

"The shot of his life," Wembanyama said on Strazel's shot that sent the game into overtime at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille. 

Wembanyama then took centre stage, scoring the first eight points of overtime to give France a 92-84 cushion.

Japan would battle back and got to within two points of their opponents, but the home team were able to close out the contest at the free throw line. 

Wembanyama also finished with 11 rebounds and six assists, and recalled the moment when the encounter changed in overtime. 

"The realisation, the dynamic of the game," Wembanyama said. 

"They were playing like underdogs and we were waiting for them to punch a little bit too much. I wanted to make a point and punch first in overtime. And it worked."

France remained in second place in Group B behind fellow unbeaten nation Germany, with the pair squaring off this Friday to see who will finish on top. 

Dennis Schroder starred for Germany in the final game on Tuesday, as the Brooklyn Nets point guard notched 20 points and six assists in their 86-73 win over Brazil. 

Victor Wembanyama says he "knew it was going to be a good day" after starring for France in their 78-66 victory over Brazil in Group B.

Despite a slow start by the hosts, which saw them trailing early in the second quarter, Wembanyama helped to steady their nerves in Lille.

The NBA Rookie of the Year last season came away with 19 points, nine rebounds, four steals and three blocked shots as he inspired his nation in front of a sell-out crowd.

France did not fully seal the victory until late on though, with Nicolas Batum's 3-pointer putting them up by 10 with less than a minute and a half remaining before Wembanyama's dunk made sure of the points in the next possession.

"I knew it was going to be a good day," he said.

"You can't underestimate the power of the crowd, the home crowd. I think it's really going to be the sixth man for this whole tournament."

Meanwhile, team-mate Evan Fournier was quick to heap praise on the 20-year-old after the game.

"I think he did pretty damn good," he said. "He can do so many things that sometimes it's like a burden because he doesn't focus on just one thing."

France will face Japan in their second game of Group B on Tuesday before their final match against Germany. 

One year after one of the most predictable No. 1 picks in the history of the NBA, this year’s draft has plenty of intrigue at the top – and throughout the first round, for that matter.

And one year after Victor Wembanyama was the clear-cut top pick by the San Antonio Spurs, another Frenchman could go first overall with two of Wemby’s fellow countrymen routinely slotted into the top spot by many prognosticators.

But while Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher have both been projected to be drafted at No. 1, it’s uncertain who will hear their name called first by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday.

Or if it will even be one of those French prospects with a number of Americans expected to be selected early.

One thing is for certain, though, and that's the most well-known American in this draft class – Bronny James – will not be the top pick.

The Atlanta Hawks will be picking first after surprisingly winning the draft lottery on May 12, despite having just a three per cent chance of securing the top pick after going 36-46 this past season and finishing in 10th place in the Eastern Conference.

Picking first for the first time since 1975, their decision at No. 1 will set in motion how the rest of the evening will transpire.

That is, if they keep the pick.

Atlanta general manager Landry Fields said last week that he isn’t planning on trading the top pick, but he’s listening to offers.

Risacher has recently been linked to the Hawks after excelling for his team in France’s top league and also in the EuroCup. The 6-foot-8 wing appears to have a high ceiling as both a catch-and-shoot 3-point specialist and is an exceptional defender. An excellent dribbler and ball-handler for someone of his size, the 19-year-old plays as a point forward, as he reads the floor well and is able to deliver crisp passes.

Atlanta could also choose to follow in the footsteps as San Antonio from a year ago and go with the elite rim protector in Sarr. With a 7-foot-4 wingspan, the versatile19-year-old brings not only length, but also athleticism, and has displayed marked improvements with his mid-range and 3-point shooting. He has the size of a centre at 6-foot-11, but shows the agility and ball-handling of a wing and can pull up from deep just as easily as he can drive to the hoop.

If the Hawks pass on Sarr, he would seemingly be a good fit for the owners of the second pick, the Washington Wizards.

Washington allowed a league-worst 123 points per game last season, and Sarr would provide an immediate upgrade on defense.

While either Risacher or Sarr are the overwhelming favourite to go first by most pundits, an American from the college ranks could end up being the second pick.

Reed Sheppard from Kentucky, Donovan Clingan and teammate Stephon Castle from national champion Connecticut all potentially could go to the Wizards at No. 2.

The 20-year-old Sheppard is a deadly shooter from 3-point range, and should make an easy transition to the NBA as he possess a high basketball IQ. Not only did the Big East freshman of the year lead all Division I American college players in 3-point shooting at 52.1 per cent, but he also displayed his athleticism at the NBA draft combine with a 42-inch vertical jump – the best among all participants. He’s only 6-foot-1, but he’s hard-nosed and tough and plays with an edge defensively, as he averaged 2.48 steals in 2023-24.

Castle will never be confused with Sheppard for his 3-point shooting – as he shot a mere 26.7 per cent from outside the perimeter on 75 attempts – but he is terrific at creating a shot off the dribble inside the arc – as he shot 54.4 per cent on all 2-point attempts as a freshman with the Huskies last season. Explosive with the ball in his hands, he also brings size and tenacity to the defensive end, and has the capability to guard just about anyone.

Clingan, however, may be the best defensive prospect in this draft class. The linchpin of the defense for the back-to-back national champions, the 7-foot-2, 280-pounder averaged 13 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.46 blocks per game and is an ultimate rim protector with his nearly 7-foot-7 wingspan. He’s physical near the basket, but is also quite agile for someone of his size.

Two of the more recognizable American collegiate players – notable for vastly different reasons – are nowhere to be found near the top of the draft boards.

The back-to-back American collegiate AP national player of the year, Zach Edey, dominated against the young men in college but is viewed as being a tad slow to do the same against grown men in the NBA. With a nearly 8-foot wingspan, the 7-foot-3 Canadian will likely still be tough to defend near the basket and if he can develop a long-range shot, he could one day become a serviceable player in the pros.

Possibly the biggest name in the draft class – and easily the biggest question mark – is the son of the one and only LeBron James.

Rarely do 6-foot-1 guards who averaged 4.8 points in 25 games in their one collegiate season as a freshman garner this much attention, but never before has the son of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer been in this position. The younger James performed well at the NBA’s draft combine – his 40 ½-inch vertical jump was the third best among all guards – and obviously has strong basketball bloodlines, but his game is a work-in-progress.

The elder James had previously said it would be a dream to play with his son, so do the Los Angeles Lakers pull the trigger at 17 to select the 19-year-old?

Well before the younger James joins his dad in the NBA, prospects Matas Buzelis, Dalton Knecht, Cody Williams and Devin Carter are all expected to be drafted.

Buzelis is a Lithuanian-American who opted to play for the G League Ignite in 2023-24 instead of continuing his career at the college level. Once considered the early favourite to go first overall in this draft, the 19-year-old is an excellent two-way player with good length and a strong motor. So why is he no longer the projected No. 1? He somehow forgot how to shoot from long range. After connecting on better than 40 per cent of his 3-pointers as a senior in high school, he made just 27.3 per cent of his 3-point attempts in his one season in the G League. The hope is he’ll be able to regain his shooting touch.

Knecht didn’t have the same issue as Buzelis last season. Knecht lit it up from deep in 2023-24, shooting 39.7 per cent from 3-point range as a transfer at Tennessee. With good size and the ability to create shots from just about anywhere on the court, the 6-foot-5 wing may have the highest upside as anyone in this draft class. His one drawback? His defense leaves something to be desired. If teams are willing to overlook his defensive shortcomings, he should excel in the NBA as an offensive playmaker.

Williams, meanwhile, brings it on the defensive end and can also shoot. Though he’s most dangerous with the ball in his hand by driving to the rim, he also proved last season as a freshman at Colorado that he can’t be given too much space on the outside, as he connected on 41.5 per cent of his 41 3-point attempts. The brother of 2022 lottery pick Jalen Williams by the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 6-foot-6 Williams is also an excellent ball-handler and adept passer.

Carter is another projected lottery pick after earning Big East Player of the Year honours in 2023-24 at Providence. He averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists and is able to score in a variety of ways. His defence may be his best attribute, however, as he is able to defend just about anyone on an opposing team.

It’s been suggested that this particular draft is one of the least compelling in several years, with no “can’t-miss superstar” and lacks overall talent depth.

Yet those factors also make this draft a bit more interesting, with so many unknowns and a plethora of potential selection scenarios

Despite all the uncertainties, however, one thing can't be argued, and that is it’s anyone’s guess how this draft will unfold.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama became the first rookie to be voted to the NBA’s All-Defensive first team when the league unveiled the voting on Tuesday.

Wembanyama received 98 of a possible 99 first-team votes to add to an impressive list of accolades after his first NBA season.

Rudy Gobert, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, was the only unanimous first-team selection.

Gobert and Wembanyama were joined on the first team by the Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans’ Herb Jones.

Gobert was voted All-Defence for the seventh time in his career, all on the first team.

Adebayo, long considered a top-tier defender, was selected to the first team for the first time in his career. Even the veterans, however, were appreciative of Wembanyama’s rookie campaign.

“Coming into this league, obviously he had high expectations because he's 7-3 and shooting step-back 3s. I think a lot of people paid attention more to that than what he actually did on the defensive end,” Adebayo said of Wembanyama. “So, for him to get first team, first come around, it's obviously a great accolade for him.”

Wembanyama led the league with 3.58 blocked shots per game, over a block more per game than any other player. The towering Frenchman was also eighth in the league at 10.6 rebounds per game and ranked in the top 25 with 1.24 steals per game.

This was the first season of position-less voting for the All-Defence teams, leading to a strong preference for interior defenders, but perimeter players were well-represented on the second team.

The Chicago Bulls’ Alex Caruso, the Orlando Magic’s Jalen Suggs, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Jaden McDaniels and Boston Celtics backcourt mates Jrue Holiday and Derrick White were voted to the All-Defensive second team.

The league will announce its three All-NBA teams on Wednesday.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was unanimously selected to the NBA's All-Rookie first team.

The NBA revealed its All-Rookie teams on Monday, and Wembanyama's inclusion was hardly a surprise, considering he was unanimously named the league's Rooke of the Year two weeks ago.

Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holgmren, who finished second to Wembanyama in rookie of the year voting, was also a unanimous selection to the NBA's All-rookie first team, appearing on all 99 ballots.

Joining Wembanyama and Holmgren on the first team are Charlotte Hornets guard-forward Brandon Miller, Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski.

Jaquez, who also appeared on all 99 ballots, finished fourth in All-rookie team voting with Miller finishing third and Podziemski in fifth. 

The NBA All-Rookie second team includes Derek Lively II of the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets' Amen Thompson, the Memphis Grizzlies' GG Jackson II, the Thunder's Cason Wallace and Keyonte George of the Utah Jazz.

Wembanyama, who became the first player to unanimously win NBA Rookie of the Year honours since Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015-16, averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-leading 3.6 blocks in 71 games in 2023-24.

After finishing second to Minnesota's Rudy Gobert in voting for the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award two weeks ago, Wembanyama seems like a lock to be named to this season's All-Defensive team, which will be revealed Tuesday.

If he is named to either the All-Defensive team or All-NBA team, which is announced Wednesday, he'll be the first rookie to do so since fellow Spurs star Tim Duncan in 1998.