The legend is on.
The number 27 of Utah Jazz, is on his way to a 4th title of best defender in the NBA.
Rudy Gobert is named along with Marcus Smart and Mikal Bridges, both Boston and Phoenix outsiders.
The opportunity is good for the tricolor pivot to cap a new crown after those won in 2018, 2019 and 2021. If the Frenchman succeeds, he will enter even more in the history of the NBA by joining Dikembe Mutombo (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001) and Ben Wallace (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006), also crowned four times.
For the first time in his career, the French Olympic vice-champion finished best rebounder in the NBA (14.7 average catches) and still made more than two blocks per game (2.1).
Facing him, Smart (12 points, 1.6 interceptions) will represent the best defense in the NBA: the Celtics have only conceded 104.5 points per game.
Bridges (14.2 points, 1.2 interceptions) also salutes the great season of the Suns, the best NBA team and in the top 10 of the best defenses.
At the end of the regular season, the NBA therefore unveiled this Sunday the various finalists for the individual trophies, including the MVP award where Nikola Jokic (Denver), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) and Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) will compete for the most prestigious of individual awards.
The members of the jury, made up of journalists, will also have to choose the coach of the year, the player who has made the most progress, the rookie of the year and the sixth man.
The 2021-22 Awards finalists pic.twitter.com/F1i1g9Jl1e
— NBA France (@NBAFRANCE) April 17, 2022
The winners of each trophy will be revealed one by one during the NBA play-offs.
Victorious on Saturday (99-93) in game 1 of their series against Dallas Mavericks, Rudy Gobert's team will play the second leg of this first round on Tuesday.