LeBron James is universally regarded as one of the best players of all time. He’s also considered one of the most well-rounded, versatile stars in NBA History. His defense is, of course, a part of that. James has been named to six All-Defensive NBA Teams, five of which were first-team selections. He has always been among the league’s top defenders. However, he’s never won a Defensive Player of the Year award, and that bugs him. From James Herbert of CBS Sports:
“I’ve been highly upset that I’ve never won Defensive Player of the Year,” James said Saturday. “It was a goal of mine. It’s still a goal of mine, so we’ll see what happens with that the rest of my career.
“But I’ve always taken that side of the floor very seriously, and being able to guard multiple positions, being able to know what teams are doing out on the floor and putting my teammates in position to be successful, you know, that’s always been something I’ve taken pride in.”
James brought this up unprompted — he was responding to a question about his shot-blocking against the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. Given that there have been few players in the history of the league who have combined James’ defensive versatility with his athleticism and intelligence, it is indeed strange that he’s never been named the best defensive player in the league.
James has finished second in DPOY voting twice: In 2009, behind Dwight Howard, and then again in 2013, behind Marc Gasol.
