Rudy Gobert made history with his fourth NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, tying the record with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, as announced on Tuesday night.
Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio rookie center and the league’s Rookie of the Year, narrowly missed becoming the first player to win the DPOY trophy in his debut NBA season, finishing second in the voting.
The French dominance in the NBA’s defensive accolades continued, with Gobert’s fourth win adding to the legacy started by Joakim Noah in 2014. Gobert now boasts DPOY titles for 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2024.
This season marks the ninth time in Gobert’s 11 NBA seasons that he has ranked seventh or better in the DPOY voting. His latest win comes just a day after missing a playoff game for the birth of his son.
Miami center Bam Adebayo, a consistent top contender, finished third in the voting, his highest ranking yet. Adebayo has been in the top five of the DPOY voting for the past five years and has received at least one first-place vote in each of those seasons.
Gobert’s achievement adds to the Timberwolves’ successful season, where they have advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with a 2-0 lead over defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets, after securing their first playoff series win since 2004 by defeating the Phoenix Suns in the first round.
