Philadelphia 7ers star Ben Simmons missed out on the Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2020-21 season, finishing second but way behind eventual winner Rudy Gobert. However, according to the Sixers playmaker, he couldn't care less.
After helping the Sixers take a 2-1 lead in their playoffs series with the Atlanta Hawks, Simmons was asked about his DPOY loss. In a rather shocking response, the Aussie guard was timid and emphasized he is not focused on individual awards. He didn't forget to congratulate the Utah jazz big man, though.
“Congrats to Rudy (Gobert). It is what it is. I'm not really concerned about individual awards. I want to win the championship,” Simmons said, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic.
Simmons got 15 first, 67 second and 11 third-place votes for the DPOY award. It gave the Sixers star 287 points, which is 177 points behind Gobert's total. The Jazz center got 84 first-place votes, which are more than enough to dominate the rest of the field.
This is the third NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for Rudy Gobert. He is the fourth player to win the award at least three times, joining Dikembe Mutombo (four), Ben Wallace (four) and Dwight Howard (three).
More ➡️ https://t.co/63VBakX4xU
Full voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Cmv6yR3SnC
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 10, 2021
For what it's worth, Ben Simmons has previously campaigned hard for his DPOY case. In fact, he has even criticized Gobert's defense not once but several times in his bid to show he's the better defender. Back in March, the Sixers point-forward highlighted that unlike the Frenchman, he is a versatile defender who can guard players of different positions.
Despite the change in his tune, Sixers fans will still love Simmons' mindset. After all, an extra motivation might just be what they need to push them to the NBA Finals. Who knows, Philly and Utah might meet in the Finals and we'll get to see a defensive showdown between Ben and Rudy?
Follow Us
Subscribe