By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Announcing the winner of the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the league, confirming usual practice, also released the complete voting results on Thursday.
Despite the Los Angeles Clippers campaigning for Ivica Zubac late in the 2024-25 Regular Season, the 28-year-old Croatian center was left out of the finalists. He instead settled among the three listed contenders for the Kia NBA Most Improved Player.
Across a global media panel of 100 voters for the Defensive Player of the Year nod, Zubac had four first-place, four second-place, and three third-place selections for a total of 34 points. He ranked sixth overall.
A former Defensive Player of the Year in the form of Giannis Antetokounmpo gathered five points with a first-place selection. The leader of the Milwaukee Bucks was eighth overall.
Similar to Zubac, Belgian Toumani Camara was on the receiving end of huge support from the Portland Trail Blazers, but was limited to ninth place with four points, behind one second-place and on third-place vote.
French Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves, a four-time DPOY winner, is also displayed as the only player with one point.
Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the list to become the next recipient of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. Earning 35 first-place, 30 second-place, and 20 third-place votes, the 23-year-old forward/center gathered 285 total points.
Fellow finalists, Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors, followed second with 197 points and third with 154 points, respectively.
