The reigning NBA MVP can add another piece of hardware to his trophy case. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Antetokounmpo received 75 of 100 total first-place votes, more than doubling the total votes for runner-up Anthony Davis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Adds DPOY to Resume
With the award, Antetokoumpo joins an elite list of players to win both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year at any point in their respective careers. The only other NBA players to do so are Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, and Kevin Garnett. Of the four, only Jordan and Olajuwon won both awards during the same season.
Antetokoumpo could very well join that list, too.
Giannis reacts to winning DPOY for the first time 🙏#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/YPw2iUbZCh
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 25, 2020
The award comes on the heels of a season that saw Antetokoumpo average 11.4 defensive rebounds per game (best in the NBA) to go along with 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks while playing just 30.4 minutes per contest. The “Greek Freak” also led the league in defensive rating and defensive win shares.
His defense is utterly impressive, but he’s much more than a one-way player. Antetokoumpo remains the overwhelming favorite to win the 2019-20 NBA MVP award, and should ultimately take the hardware home for the second-straight year. He averaged nearly 30 points and 6 assists per game while leading his Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the NBA.
The aforementioned Davis came in second in voting with 200 total points. Antetokoumpo notched 432. The third finalist, Rudy Gobert, finished with just six first-place votes and 187 total points. Bam Adebayo (2), Ben Simmons (1), Patrick Beverley (1), and Andre Drummond (1) were the only other players to earn a first-place vote.
The Milwaukee Bucks hold a 3-1 lead over the Orlando Magic in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. They can advance with a win Wednesday night.
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