Kendrick Perkins predicts Wembanyama's unprecedented defensive dominance, forecasting multiple DPOY awards and a generational, historic NBA career.
The hype around Victor Wembanyama has already reached extraordinary levels—but the latest prediction from Kendrick Perkins takes things into historic territory.
Following Wembanyama’s dominant 2025–26 campaign, which culminated in a unanimous Defensive Player of the Year selection, Perkins suggested that the San Antonio Spurs star could be on track to build a résumé unlike anything the league has seen defensively.
During a recent episode of "The Road Trippin Show", the 2008 NBA champion revealed what he thinks is in store for the French phenom.
"He’s going to win the next five or six straight... he’s the best defender that I’ve seen with my own eyes," Perkins said. "I've never seen nothing like this. He is a system in itself on the defensive side of things. And I’m predicting right now, he’s going to win the next five Defensive Player of the Year Awards. Hands down."
Wembanyama’s first DPOY win alone was impressive. Doing it unanimously makes him the lone player to ever do so, and it might not be the last time that he does it.
That kind of production isn’t just good—it’s generational. And it’s why Perkins believes this could be the beginning of a long run of dominance.
Historically, the DPOY award has been difficult to win repeatedly. Even all-time great defenders like Draymond Green or Kawhi Leonard had to compete in stacked eras and rarely maintained year-to-year control of the award. Sustained dominance requires not only elite ability but also durability, team success, and narrative momentum.
Wembanyama appears to check every box early in his career.
At just 22 years old, he already alters opposing offenses simply by being on the court. Guards hesitate at the rim. Bigs struggle to finish over his length. Entire schemes shift to avoid him. That kind of impact is difficult to quantify—but impossible to ignore.
The players with the most DPOY awards ever are Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ben Wallace, who all have four. With Wemby being just 22 years old and already having won one unanimously, he could be well on his way.
Perkins’ prediction may sound bold today, but it reflects a growing consensus across the league: we may be witnessing the early stages of one of the greatest defensive careers in NBA history.