Former Kentucky Wildcats power forward and star of the Los Angeles Lakers Anthony Davis has been one of the best player in the NBA for over a decade now but is missing one thing from his resume, a Defensive Player of the Year award.
Davis has made nine All-Star teams, four All-NBA teams and four All-Defense teams, the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and has two Olympic gold medals, but will this be the year he wins the award for DPOTY?
Davis is one of the favorites to win the Defensive Player of the Year award next season according to ESPN. They ranked Davis as the fourth-most likely player to win the DPOY award next season.
The 2023 Defensive Player of The Year award went to Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert for the fourth time in his future Hall of Fame career. The runners up being Frenchman and Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and another former Kentucky Wildcat Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.
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Davis, after the nominees were announced last season wasn’t shy about his omission with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin:
I’ll never get [the award]. They’re not giving it to me. The league doesn’t like me. I’m the best defensive player in the league. I can switch 1 through 5. I can guard the pick-and-roll the best in the league, from a big standpoint. I block shots. I rebound.
I don’t know what else to do. I’m over it. I’m just going to do what I got to do to help the team win and try to play for a championship. Accolades and individual awards, I’m done with those.