Philippines, 22 Oct 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


UTAH’S RUDY GOBERT WINS 2020-21 KIA NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD

PhilBoxing.com




NEW YORK, June 9, 2021 – Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been named the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA announced today.

This marks the third NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for Gobert, who also earned the honor in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. The 7-1 French native is the fourth player to win the award at least three times, joining Dikembe Mutombo (four), Ben Wallace (four) and Dwight Howard (three).

Gobert received 84 first-place votes and earned 464 points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons finished in second place with 287 points (15 first-place votes). Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, the 2016-17 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, finished in third place with 76 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

In his eighth NBA season, Gobert led the league in defensive rebounds per game (10.1), total defensive rebounds (720) and total blocked shots (190) and ranked second in blocked shots per game (2.70). He recorded six games with least 15 defensive rebounds and eight games with five or more blocks. Gobert grabbed a season-high 20 defensive rebounds against the Warriors on March 14 and blocked a career-high nine shots against the Chicago Bulls on March 22.

According to NBA Advanced Stats, Gobert ranked second in the NBA in defensive win shares, which measures a player’s defensive impact on winning. He defended the most field goal attempts at the rim in the NBA (549) and held opponents to 50.1 percent shooting on those shots, the third-lowest mark among the 27 players who defended at least 300 shots at the rim this season.

Behind Gobert, Utah finished third in the NBA in defensive rating (107.5) and second in opponents’ field goal percentage (44.7). The strong defense helped propel the Jazz to a league-leading 52-20 record and the top seed in the Western Conference for the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

Selected as an NBA All-Star for the second time, Gobert averaged 14.3 points and 13.5 rebounds in 71 games this season. Gobert led the NBA in total rebounds (960) and ranked second in rebounds per game. He also shot an NBA-high 67.5 percent from the field, leading the league in that category for the second time in the last three seasons.

Gobert, the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, has career averages of 12.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.24 blocks in 545 games, all with the Jazz. He was voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in each of the previous four seasons.

The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.




Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • THRILLA IN MANILA GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY 21: THE RELATIONSHIP OF MUHAMMAD ALI AND JOE FRAZIER
    By Maloney L. Samaco, , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • Sumabong is new WBO Asia Pacific minimumweight champ
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • Happy Birthday Reymart Soledad!
    By Carlos Costa, , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • October 30: Mary Spencer-Mikaela Mayer Super Welterweight Title Showdown to Stream LIVE on Top Rank Classics FAST Channel
    , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • Pinoy chessers off to hot start in Italy World Senior Chess Championships
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimán: The Finalists for the WBC Grand Prix are Set
    By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • Traya to fight again in Thailand on Oct. 25
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • Texas super middleweight Darius Fulghum Preparing to get back in the title hunt
    , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • Aaron Pryor honored on his 70th birthday anniversary
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 22 Oct 2025
  • DUONG SUFFERS SHOCK EXIT AS GORST OPENS STRONG IN MANILA
    , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • Marlon "Marvelous Captain" Manalo makes a comeback in the Philippine Open
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION 20 OCTOBER 2025: Danny Garcia KOs Daniel Gonzalez; Juarez Defeats Nery; Bormann Unifies Belt vs Kuroki
    By Eric Armit, , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • "Round of the Year" Candidate Unfolds in Explosive Clash Between Undefeated Prospect Sebastian Juarez and Veteran Demarcus Layton
    , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • IIEE PSME Quezon City Simba's Tribe wins 4 straight in PCAP Tourney
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • GREEN TAM, RINGO LAM, HARPREET SINGH SCORE CRUSHING TKO WINS MONDAY IN THAILAND
    By Carlos Costa, , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • Irish middleweight Jim Donovan Registers sensational KO in his Pro debut at home in Ireland
    , Tue, 21 Oct 2025
  • Kell Brook to return in February
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • EFREN REYES AND FRANCISCO BUSTAMANTE HEADLINE HISTORIC FIELD AS PHILIPPINES OPEN DRAW REVEALED
    , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • North Cotabato karatekas ready in BP 2025
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • Fundora vs. Thurman Expected to Land on Manny Pacquiao's January Undercard
    By Dong Secuya, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • Hong Kong’s “Tyson” Ng and Harpreet Singh of India Ready to Rock for WBC Asia Strap
    By Carlos Costa, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • TEAM ASIA CONQUER THE WORLD TO COMPLETE HISTORIC REYES CUP TITLE DEFENCE
    , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • Jodiel Chloe Banawa: A 5-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Making Her Mark at the Provincial Meet
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 20 Oct 2025
  • GM Joey is aiming for a world title shot
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 19 Oct 2025
  • Patrick Bonifacio rules Directors Chess Cup
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Sun, 19 Oct 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.