Giannis earns All-Defensive First Team honors for the first time.
The NBA has today announced the 2018-19 All-Defensive First Team, featuring Milwaukee Bucks teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe, as well as Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George, and Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart.
Giannis, Gobert and George – the three finalists for the 2018-19 Kia NBA Defensive Player the Year Award – finished with nearly identical point totals as the top vote-getters for the NBA All-Defensive Teams.
Gobert led all with 196 a possible 200 points (97 First Team votes), as he earned First Team honors for the third consecutive season. PG received 195 points (96 First Team votes) while Giannis earned 193 points (94 First Team votes) en route to his first First Team selection. The winner the 2018-19 Kia NBA Defensive Player the Year Award will be revealed at the third annual NBA Awards on Monday, June 24 at 9pm ET on TNT.
The 2018-19 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday (90 points), Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (82), Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (80), Warriors forward Draymond Green (61) and Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (39). This is the first NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Thompson, a five-time NBA All-Star.
According to NBA.com, the NBA All-Defensive Teams were selected by a global panel 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Players were awarded two points for each First Team vote and one point for each Second Team vote. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position where they received the most votes.