Bam Adebayo finished 3rd in NBA Defensive Player of the Year race

Bam Adebayo is widely recognized as one of the NBA’s best overall defenders, but his first Defensive Player of the Year award continues to elude him.

On Tuesday night ahead of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, the NBA revealed that Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves has been named the league’s 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year. This is Gobert’s fourth time winning the award.

Adebayo came in third in voting — his highest finish since arriving in the NBA ahead of the 2017-18 season — with a total of 91 points. Gobert received 433 points while rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs came in second with 245 points.

Two other former Kentucky players cracked the list, too. Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis finished fourth in voting with 83 points while Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came in seventh with six total points.

The complete voting results for the 2023-24 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/SpApbyUUw2

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 7, 2024

Since his third season in the NBA in 2019-20 (his first of three All-Star appearances), Adebayo has consistently been among the league’s top five overall defenders.

The former Kentucky Wildcat has been tabbed All-Defensive Second Team in each of the last four seasons (2019-23) while finishing fifth, fourth, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Adebayo could crack his first All-Defensive First Team for his efforts in 2023-24 once those are announced.

In 71 games played (all starts) for the Miami Heat this past season, Adebayo averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 34 minutes per outing. Clocking in at 6-foot-9, 255 pounds, he can defend multiple positions and is as versatile as they come on that end of the floor.

Adebayo is also a finalist for the NBA Social Justice Champion award (as is fellow former Kentucky player Karl-Anthony Towns), which is handed out to the person who “dedicated themselves to creating a more equal and just society” more than anyone throughout the 2023-24 season.