Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo named to 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive First Team
A pair of former Wildcats were among the NBA’s five best defenders from this past season.
On Tuesday afternoon, the NBA announced the 2023-24 All-Defensive First and Second Teams. Making the First Team were Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo and Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis. The one-time Kentucky players were joined on the First Team by Defensive Player of the Year winner Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves), rookie Victor Wembanyama (Spurs), and Herb Jones (Pelicans).
For Adebayo, this is his debut on the All-Defensive First Team after being named to the Second Team the last four seasons. Earlier this month, he finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Gobert and Wembanyama. Meanwhile, Davis, who has made the All-Defensive Second Team two times throughout his career, cracked the All-Defensive First Team for the third time.
Adebayo received 73 First Team points and 22 Second Team points for a total of 168, which ranked third. Davis earned 60 First Team points and 31 Second Team points for a total of 151, good enough for fifth-most.
Adebayo, 26, and Davis, 31, are widely considered two of the league’s most versatile defenders, capable of defending multiple positions at all times. In terms of general stats, Adebayo, who played at Kentucky in 2016-17, averaged 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game for the Heat (which finished fifth in the league on defense) this past season while Davis, who won a national championship with the Wildcats in 2011-12, averaged 1.2 steals and 2.3 blocks per outing for the Lakers.
Among the “other players receiving votes” category, former Wildcats such as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (19 points) and Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox (three points) also picked up some nominations.
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