Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is the recipient of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy as the 2023-24 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Gobert has been named the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year for a record-tying fourth time. He joins Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace as the only four-time winners of the award, which has been presented annually since the 1982-83 season.
The 7-1 native of France is also the first player to earn the honor with the Timberwolves. In the 2023-24 regular season, Gobert ranked sixth in the NBA in blocks per game (2.13) and fourth in defensive rebounds per game (9.2).
Opponents shot 43.4% from the field when Gobert was the closest defender, 6.1% lower than their expected percentage on those shots (49.5%). That difference was the largest among the 105 players who defended at least 800 shots during the season.
Led by Gobert, the Timberwolves had the best defensive rating, allowed the fewest points per game and held opponents to the lowest field goal percentage in the NBA. The top-ranked defense helped Minnesota (56-26) post the second-best record in franchise history and earn the No. 3 playoff seed in the Western Conference.
Here is the complete voting results for the 2023-24 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
