Rudy Gobert Dethroned, Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Wins NBA Defensive Player Of Year Award
Aug 25, 2020, 4:39 PM | Updated: 5:03 pm
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Rudy Gobert #27 of the Utah Jazz during a game at Fiserv Forum on January 07, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NBA announced Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo as the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, dethroning reigning DPOY, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.
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The league announced Antetokounmpo as the award’s honoree on Tuesday, August 25. It was Antetokounmpo’s first time winning the award.
Gobert’s reign as the NBA’s two-time defending Defensive Player of the Year came to an end as a result.
The Jazz center won the award for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
The Greek Freak is the 2019-20 @NBA Defensive Player of the Year! pic.twitter.com/HPfyMdK7bW
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 25, 2020
Antetokounmpo ran away with the award having received 75 first place votes. The reigning NBA MVP is one of five players in league history to win the league’s Most Valuable Player award and Defensive Player award. The other players on that list are:
- Michael Jordan
- Hakeem Olajuwon
- David Robinson
- Kevin Garnett
In the 2019-20 DPOY vote, Gobert finished in third place. He received six first place votes.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis finished in second place with 14 first place votes.
Gobert only received 6 first place votes, 44 second place votes and 25 third place votes.
Meaning 25 voters didn’t have Gobert on their ballot.
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) August 25, 2020
This season, Gobert is averaging 15.1 points, 13.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 0.8 steals in 34.3 minutes per contest.
Gobert and the Jazz will play Game 5 of their first round series against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, August 25 at 4:30 p.m. (MDT). The game will broadcast on TNT, AT&T SportsNet, and 97.5 FM.
