Rudy Gobert joins Dwight Howard after 3rd DPOY award, one away from Mutombo, Wallace

24 hours after sealing the victory for Utah in Game 1 against the Clippers with a game-winning block, Rudy Gobert was announced as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year. This is the 3rd time the Frenchman has won the award which means that he is tied with Dwight Howard in the all-time DPOY list. Rudy Gobert was surprised by his teammates as they placed the trophy on his chair after training and his reaction after seeing the trophy was priceless. 

Rudy Gobert DPOY: All-time Defensive Player of the Year list

Rudy Gobert previously won the award back to back in the 2018 and the 2019 season and came second in the voting to Giannis Antetokounmpo last year. His game has gone a level up this year and he is a key part of the Jazz team that finished 1st seed in the Western Conference. Gobert is now tied with Dwight Howard at 3 trophies in the NBA All-time Defensive Player of the Year list, but the Frenchman is just 28 years old and is in the prime of his career. Gobert is just one trophy away from tying greats like Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, who have both won the DPOY awards 4 times in their careers. That is a great list to be in and Rudy definitely has the talent to go at it again next year.

Rudy Gobert stats

Rudy Gobert's DPOY trophy is a testimony of the wonderful season he has had for the Jazz. The Frenchman averaged 13.5 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in the regular season making it very difficult for anyone attacking the rim. He carried his dominance in the Playoffs and has averaged 16.2 PPG while shooting 72.5% from the field. Gobert has averaged 3 blocks in the Playoffs so far and has shown up big in the postseason this year for Utah. He was given a USD 200 million contract extension last season, and he received a lot of criticism for it, but he has proven to be worth every money the Jazz have invested in him, helping his team finish top of the Western Conference.

Players' reactions to Rudy Gobert being named the DPOY

Gobert has been a part of the Jazz franchise since 2013 and has proven to be a very important player to the team. His Jazz teammates were ecstatic and surprised him with the trophy in the dressing room. When asked about what it takes to win the DPOY by the TNT crew, Gobert said, "It takes team effort. A lot of mental toughness, hard work and dedication. Every day, you've got to come in with the mindset to try and make your team as good as it can be on that end. I have got an organisation and teammates that believe in me, I give them the confidence back." His teammates Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles and Donovan Mitchell all posted on Twitter to congratulate their teammate on his big achievement.

Picture Credits: AP