One day after his defensive prowess helped close out a critical Game 1 win over the Clippers in the second round of the playoffs, Jazz center Rudy Gobert was officially recognized for his importance on that end of the court.
Gobert won the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award on Wednesday for the third time in his career. He was presented the trophy by his teammates, who surprised him by putting it in his locker.
Gobert, 28, played in 71 games this season, averaging 14.3 points, 13.5 rebounds and a career-best 2.7 blocked shots per game.