SAN ANTONIO (June 26, 2017) – The NBA today announced that Kawhi Leonard has been named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team for the third consecutive season, while Danny Green has earned his first career honor by being selected to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team. Leonard, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons, receives his fourth straight selection overall after being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2013-14. The only Spur to ever win multiple Defensive Player of the Year awards, Leonard is the first San Antonio player to be named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in three straight seasons since Bruce Bowen earned five straight selections from 2003 to 2008. The First Team All-NBA performer was one of three players in the league this season to record at least 130 steals and 50 blocks, along with Golden State’s Draymond Green and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, averaging 1.78 steals and 0.74 blocks. The sixth-year forward also averaged a career-highs of 25.5 points and 3.5 assists to go along with 5.8 rebounds in 33.4 minutes while shooting .485 (636-1,311) from the floor, .381 (147-386) from beyond the arc and a personal-best .880 (469-533) from the free throw line. Green’s first career selection makes him the second guard and eighth player in Spurs history to be named to an All-Defensive Team, joining George Johnson, Alvin Robertson, David Robinson, Dennis Rodman, Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen and Leonard. The eighth-year guard averaged 1.04 steals and 0.85 blocks to go along with 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26.6 minutes while shooting .379 (118-311) from beyond the arc. The only guard in the NBA to have at least 50 steals and 50 blocks in each of the last five seasons, Green is one of four players in Spurs history with at least 350 steals and 350 blocks in his career, along with George Gervin, David Robinson and Tim Duncan. San Antonio’s starting backcourt helped pilot the Spurs defense that allowed 98.1 points per game, second-best in the league, and held their opponents under 100 points in 44 contests, guiding the team to a 61-21 record and giving the Silver and Black their first back-to-back 60-win seasons in franchise history. San Antonio held their opponents under 100 points per game for a league record 22nd straight season and reached the playoffs for the 20th consecutive year, the longest active streak in the four major U.S. sports and tied for the third-best in NBA history. The Spurs have now been represented on the NBA All-Defensive Team in 27 of the last 30 seasons.
Below are the voting results for the 2016-17 NBA All-Defensive Teams. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP. Complete media ballots will be posted at NBA.com/official tomorrow (Tuesday, June 27).
Other players receiving votes, with point totals (First Team votes in parentheses): Avery Bradley, Boston, 46 (12); Klay Thompson, Golden State, 45 (16); John Wall, Washington, 38 (14); DeAndre Jordan, LA Clippers, 35 (1); Paul Millsap, Atlanta, 35; Hassan Whiteside, Miami, 25 (1); Marcus Smart, Boston, 21 (5); Jimmy Butler, Chicago, 18; LeBron James, Cleveland, 12 (1); Robert Covington, Philadelphia, 11 (2); Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City, 10 (5); Paul George, Indiana, 7; Kevin Durant, Golden State, 6; Dwight Howard, Atlanta, 6 (1); Mike Conley, Memphis, 5 (1); Jae Crowder, Boston, 5; Jrue Holiday, New Orleans, 5; Wesley Matthews, Dallas, 4 (2); Stephen Curry, Golden State, 3; Andre Iguodala, Golden State, 3 (1); Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte, 3; Ricky Rubio, Minnesota, 3; P.J. Tucker, Toronto, 3; Trevor Ariza, Houston, 2; Nicolas Batum, Charlotte, 2; Marc Gasol, Memphis, 2; Eric Gordon, Houston, 2 (1); Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota, 2 (1); Steven Adams, Oklahoma City, 1; LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio, 1; Al-Farouq Aminu, Portland, 1; Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit, 1; George Hill, Utah, 1; Serge Ibaka, Toronto, 1; Damian Lillard, Portland, 1; Luc Mbah a Moute, LA Clippers, 1; Austin Rivers, LA Clippers, 1; Isaiah Thomas, Boston, 1; Cody Zeller, Charlotte, 1.