Grizzlies’ Marc Gasol wins 2012-13 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award

NEW YORK – Memphis’ Marc Gasol, who anchored the league’s stingiest defense, is the recipient of the 2012-13 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, the NBA announced today. Gasol becomes the first player in Grizzlies history to earn the honor.

Gasol received 212 of a possible 1,089 points, including 30 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Miami’s LeBron James (149 points, 18 first-place votes) and Oklahoma City’s Serge Ibaka (122 points, 14 first-place votes) finished second and third, respectively. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote received.

Gasol, one of only six players to average at least 1.5 blocks (1.7 bpg) and 1.0 steals (1.0 spg), led a Grizzlies defense that allowed a league-low 88.7 ppg during the regular season. According to NBA.com/Stats, Gasol’s +5.4 score differential ranked second among NBA centers; additionally, Memphis enjoyed a +7.5 score differential when Gasol was on the court compared with -3.9 when he was on the bench.

As part of its support of the Defensive Player of the Year Award, Kia Motors America (KMA) will donate a new 2014 Kia Sorento LX CUV to Gasol’s charity of choice, Youth Villages, a private nonprofit dedicated to helping thousands of emotionally and behaviorally troubled children and their families live successfully. Kia Motors will present a Sorento to the charity of choice of each of five 2012-13 season-end award winners as part of “The Kia NBA Performance Awards.” Following this season, Kia Motors will have donated a total of 26 new vehicles to charitable organizations since its support of the NBA’s prestigious season-end honors began in 2008.

The 2012-13 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award is part of a series of on-court performance awards called “The Kia NBA Performance Awards.” The series, currently in its sixth season, is part of a multiyear marketing partnership between KMA and the NBA, and includes five of the league’s most prestigious year-end honors: Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man Award, Most Improved Player Award, and Rookie of the Year.  For the first time, the series also includes the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month during the regular season.  Kia Motors is the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA and the Kia Optima is the league’s Official Vehicle.  For more information on “The Kia NBA Performance Awards” visit NBA.com/Awards.

Following are the balloting results for the 2012-13 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP.

2012-13 KIA NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR RESULTS

PLAYER                          TEAM                         1st Place (5 Pts)                   2nd Place (3 Pts)            3rd Place (1 pt)            Total Points

Marc Gasol                       Memphis                                 30                                       16                                    14                            212

LeBron James                    Miami                                       18                                       15                                    14                            149

Serge Ibaka                        Oklahoma City                         14                                       15                                    7                              122

Joakim Noah                     Chicago                                    13                                       10                                    12                            107

Tony Allen                        Memphis                                  9                                         15                                    12                            102

Tim Duncan                       San Antonio                             11                                       11                                    6                              94

Larry Sanders                    Milwaukee                               4                                         18                                    16                            90

Paul George                       Indiana                                     8                                         2                                      11                            57

Andre Iguodala                  Denver                                     5                                         3                                      9                              43

Roy Hibbert                       Indiana                                     3                                         5                                      6                              36

Chris Paul                          L.A. Clippers                           2                                         2                                      3                              19

Avery Bradley                   Boston                                      2                                         1                                      2                              15

Tyson Chandler                 New York                                0                                         3                                      2                              11

Dwight Howard                L.A. Lakers                              1                                         0                                      4                              9

Luol Deng                         Chicago                                    1                                         0                                      1                              6

Dwyane Wade                   Miami                                       0                                         1                                      1                              4

Trevor Ariza                      Washingotn                              0                                        1                                      0                             3

Jimmy Butler                     Chicago                                    0                                         1                                      0                              3

Kenneth Faried                  Denver                                     0                                         1                                      0                              3

Russell Westbrook            Oklahoma City                         0                                         1                                      0                              3

Mike Conley                      Memphis                                 0                                        0                                       1                              1

 ALL-TIME KIA NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

Season         Winner, Team

1982-83        Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee

1983-84        Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee

1984-85        Mark Eaton, Utah

1985-86        Alvin Robertson, San Antonio

1986-87        Michael Cooper, L.A. Lakers

1987-88        Michael Jordan, Chicago

1988-89        Mark Eaton, Utah

1989-90        Dennis Rodman, Detroit

1990-91        Dennis Rodman, Detroit

1991-92        David Robinson, San Antonio

1992-93        Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston

1993-94        Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston

1994-95        Dikembe Mutombo, Denver

1995-96        Gary Payton, Seattle

1996-97        Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta

1997-98        Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta

1998-99        Alonzo Mourning, Miami

1999-00        Alonzo Mourning, Miami

2000-01        Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia

2001-02        Ben Wallace, Detroit

2002-03        Ben Wallace, Detroit

2003-04        Ron Artest, Indiana

2004-05        Ben Wallace, Detroit

2005-06        Ben Wallace, Detroit

2006-07        Marcus Camby, Denver

2007-08        Kevin Garnett, Boston

2008-09        Dwight Howard, Orlando

2009-10        Dwight Howard, Orlando

2010-11        Dwight Howard, Orlando

2011-12        Tyson Chandler, New York

2012-13        Marc Gasol, Memphis