LOS ANGELES — For the second year in a row, Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Gobert won the honors Monday night during the league’s annual awards show, beating out Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George.
The 7-foot-1 Frenchman becomes the 10th player in NBA history to win the award at least twice and the second Jazzman, joining Mark Eaton.
Gobert finished in the top five in the NBA in both rebounds (12.9) and blocks (2.3) per game.
Earlier in the night, new acquisition Mike Conley won both the NBA's Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award and the Sportsmanship award.