BREAKING: Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert Wins NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace finally have some company.

After yet another dominant defensive season from Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, the “Stifle Tower” took home his fourth KIA NBA Defensive Player of the Year award Tuesday evening.

Gobert is now tied with Mutombo and Wallace for most DPOY’s won by a single player. Gobert also becomes the oldest player to win the award at 31 years old.

This past regular season, Gobert averaged 14 points, 12.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.8 stocks per game, and improvement from the 2.2 he registered in the 2022-23 campaign. He was the anchor for a Timberwolves defense that blossomed into arguably the best defense in the NBA, as they finished the regular season with the best defensive efficiency in the league.

That defense was a big reason why Minnesota ended the regular season as the third seed in the Western Conference and why they’re currently up 2-0 on the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals.

In Minnesota’s first five playoff games this season, Gobert averaged 13.2 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.4 stocks per gam

Following Gobert in the voting count was budding San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who had an awfully impressive defensive campaign himself. He led the league in blocks per game during the regular season with 3.6 to go along with 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.

Even with his numbers, however, it was likely his team’s overall performance (and some advanced statistics) that put Gobert over the top.

The past 48 hours for Gobert have been hectic, yet filled with incredible accomplishments. After the Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Semis, Gobert missed Game 2 due to the birth of his first child.

Even without Gobert, Minnesota dominated Denver to steal home-court advantage in the series.

Now, he’s expected to return for Game 3 — with an extra accolade to his name.