Artest news conference: Play Ron Artest, Defensive Player of the Year. Ron Hoskins/NBAE/Getty Images

Artest finished third in the NBA in steals per game (2.08) as the Pacers defensive stopper this year. He successfully held his offensive targets, including some of the league’s top players, to 8.1 points per game on 9.3 shots per game and 42.6 percent shooting.

Artest received 476 points (out of a possible 605 points), including 80 of 121 possible first-place votes, from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. 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.

Two-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons (2001-02, 2002-03) finished second with 325 points and Portland’s Theo Ratliff finished third with 90 points.

Runner-up to Wallace for Defensive Player of the Year in 2002-03, Artest averaged career-bests in points (18.3), rebounds (5.3) and assists (3.7) this season. Artest sparked the Pacers to the best record in the league (61-21) by spearheading an aggressive defense that held opponents to 85.6 points per game, third best in the league.

2003-04 NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR RESULTS

Player, Team	1st	2nd	3rd	Pts
Ron Artest, Indiana	80	20	16	476
Ben Wallace, Detroit	26	61	12	325
Theo Ratliff, Portland	8	10	20	90
Bruce Bowen, San Antonio	4	10	26	76
Andrei Kirilenko, Utah	2	12	21	67
Kevin Garnett, Minnesota	0	7	15	36
Tim Duncan, San Antonio	0	1	5	8
Clifford Robinson, Golden State	1	0	0	5
Kenyon Martin, New Jersey	0	0	2	2
James Posey, Memphis	0	0	1	1
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers	0	0	1	1
Shaquille O’Neal, L.A. Lakers	0	0	1	1
Earl Watson, Memphis	0	0	1	1

ALL-TIME NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS

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
1999-2000: Alonzo Mourning, Miami
2000-01: Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia
2001-02: Ben Wallace, Detroit
2002-03: Ben Wallace, Detroit
2003-04: Ron Artest, Indiana