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NBA 24/04/2013, 19.35

Grizzlies' Marc Gasol named Kia Defensive Player of the Year

Marc Gasol is the best defender in NBA

NBA

Memphis' Marc Gasol, who anchored the league's stingiest defense, is the recipient of the 2012-13 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, the NBA announced today. Gasol becomes the first player in Grizzlies history to earn the honor.

Gasol received 212 of a possible 1,089 points, including 30 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Miami's LeBron James (149 points, 18 first-place votes) and Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka (122 points, 14 first-place votes) finished second and third, respectively. 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

Gasol, one of only six players to average at least 1.5 blocks (1.7 bpg) and 1.0 steals (1.0 spg), led a Grizzlies defense that allowed a league-low 88.7 ppg during the regular season. According to NBA.com/Stats, Gasol's +5.4 score differential ranked second among NBA centers; additionally, Memphis enjoyed a +7.5 score differential when Gasol was on the court compared with -3.9 when he was on the bench.

As part of its support of the Most Improved Player Award, Kia Motors America (KMA) will donate a new 2014 Kia Sorento LX CUV to Gasol's charity of choice, Youth Villages, a private nonprofit dedicated to helping thousands of emotionally and behaviorally troubled children and their families live successfully. Kia Motors will present a Sorento to the charity of choice of each of five 2012-13 season-end award winners as part of "The Kia NBA Performance Awards." Following this season, Kia Motors will have donated a total of 26 new vehicles to charitable organizations since its support of the NBA's prestigious season-end honors began in 2008.

The 2012-13 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award is part of a series of on-court performance awards called "The Kia NBA Performance Awards." The series, currently in its sixth season, is part of a multiyear marketing partnership between KMA and the NBA, and includes five of the league's most prestigious year-end honors: Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man Award, Most Improved Player Award, and Rookie of the Year. For the first time, the series also includes the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month during the regular season. Kia Motors is the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA and the Kia Optima is the league's Official Vehicle. For more information on "The Kia NBA Performance Awards" visit NBA.com/Awards.

Following are the balloting results for the 2012-13 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP.

E. Carchia

E. Carchia

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