Video: Lakers' LeBron James Says 'It Kinda Stings' That He's Never Won NBA DPOY Award
April 16, 2024
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has pretty much done it all during his legendary NBA career, but he still hasn't forgotten about the one accomplishment that has eluded him.
During the latest episode of The Shop, James revealed that he's not pleased with the fact that he's never won an NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in his 20-year career.
"I mean, that's the only award that I don't have in my house," James said. "It kind of stings."
The Shop @TheShopUN"It don't make sense." 😤<a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KingJames</a> talks about the one award he hasn't won and why it still stings in an all-new episode of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheShop?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheShop</a> – dropping this Thursday. <a href="https://t.co/Rqh4L7fQ2L">pic.twitter.com/Rqh4L7fQ2L</a>
James has made six All-Defensive teams in his career, including five first-team selections. He finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting twice.
The first time James placed second was the 2008-09 season, but he really didn't have a chance to beat out Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard, who earned 105 first-place votes while James garnered just four.
However, finishing second during the 2012-13 season was seen as a "robbery" in the eyes of James' supporters. Arguably the best year of his career, James won NBA MVP, the NBA championship with the Miami Heat and was named Finals MVP. He fell short of the Defensive Player of the Year award to Memphis Grizzlies star Marc Gasol, who received 30 first-place votes to James' 18.
The 39-year-old went on to point out that Gasol wasn't named first-team All-Defense that year, so he still doesn't understand how he was given the award.
"I've talked about this before, like, it don't make sense," James said. "It's almost like what [Jay Z] just said about [Beyonce], how can she have the most Grammys but never won Album of the Year? So the year I finished second in Defensive Player of the Year award, the guy who won Defensive Player of the Year didn't even make first-team All-Defense."