Victor Wembanyama is going after something that only the best players have done. The Spurs center, who is 22 years old, wants to win both the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season.

Michael Jordan and two other players are the only ones who have done it. And at this point, it looks like Wembanyama might really do it.

Wembanyama made his goal clear during the postgame press conference after San Antonio beat Charlotte 115–102 on Saturday.

"Right now in my mind is taking great care of my body cause I also want to win the MVP, and the DPOY. So I'm trying to press the gas from now until the end of the season," Wembanyama said.

He elaborated on his approach: "Really take care of my treatment, take care of my sleep, take care of my routine, and show up for my team."

Wembanyama's goal isn't just a dream. He is scoring an average of 24.2 points, 11.1 rebounds (a career-high), 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.0 blocks per game, which is the most in the league.

His career-high shooting percentages of 50.6 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from three-point range make him a complete two-way offensive threat and an elite rim defender. These numbers are what make his candidacy for both MVP and DPOY possible.

The historical background makes Wembanyama's goal even clearer. Michael Jordan (1988), Hakeem Olajuwon (1994), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2020) are the only three players to have won both the MVP and DPOY awards in the same season.

For a third-year veteran, joining this elite group would be an amazing accomplishment, but Wembanyama's performance trajectory suggests that it is possible.

With 15 games left, the Spurs are the No. 2 seed. Last season, Wembanyama was named Rookie of the Year and made the All-NBA Defense team.

If he wins MVP and keeps playing great defense, he'll be a generational two-way force like Jordan, Hakeem, and Giannis.

Josh Giddey passes Michael Jordan's triple-double mark

Young stars are setting records all over the place. Josh Giddey just beat Michael Jordan, the one and only Michael Jordan. The 23-year-old Australian point guard got 29 triple-doubles, which is one more than MJ's 28.

It happened on March 14 against the Clippers, with Matas Buzelis getting an assist for three with 2:10 left.

Giddey had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in the end. The Bulls lost 119-108, but what really stood out was Giddey's all-around greatness. At $25 million, he's showing that he can change games by making plays and getting rebounds, not just by scoring.

This is a big deal in Chicago. It's not common for any Bull to be ahead of Jordan in a statistical category. Giddey just did it.

He's now in the conversation for a triple-double with some of the best basketball players of all time. This is an amazing achievement for a young player who is still growing.

Adding Ben Simmons makes the competition even tougher. The other Australian has the most Australian triple-doubles, with 33. Giddey is four points behind, which makes for an interesting race between two young stars from Australia.

Read more at the Air Jordan Chronicles!

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi