Basketballer Of Nigerian Descent, Giannis Antetokounmpo Leads 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive First Team

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, who was born to Nigerian parents, leads the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced on Wednesday.

AllNews reports that Antetokounmpo received 97 NBA All-Defensive First Team votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters and earned 195 total points. This marks the second straight NBA All-Defensive First Team selection for Antetokounmpo, who also made the Second Team in 2016-17.

Joining Antetokounmpo on the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive First Team are Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (187 points; 87 First Team votes), Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (185 points; 88 First Team votes), Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (180 points; 85 First Team votes) and Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (152 points; 57 First Team votes).

Davis, who finished in second place for the 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the second time to go with two Second Team honors. This is the fourth consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team selection for Gobert, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Smart has been selected to the First Team for the second season in a row. Simmons is a First Team choice in his NBA All-Defensive Team debut.

The 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (128 points), Bucks center Brook Lopez (67), Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (61), Clippers guard Patrick Beverley (60), and Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe (59).

Leonard has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team (First Team and Second Team) for the sixth time. This is the third NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Beverley and the second for Bledsoe. Adebayo and Lopez join Simmons as first-time selections to the NBA All-Defensive Team.      

With the selection of Antetokounmpo to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and Lopez and Bledsoe to the Second Team, the Bucks are the first team to have at least three players named to the NBA All-Defensive Team since the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012-13 (Tony Allen, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol).

Players were awarded two points for each vote to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and one point for each vote to the Second Team. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most votes. 

The voting was conducted based on regular-season games played through March 11. The seeding games, which were played July 30 – August 14 as part of the 2019-20 season restart, did not count toward voting for the NBA All-Defensive Team or the league’s other traditional end-of-season awards.

READ ALSO: Basketballer Of Nigerian Descent, Giannis Antetokounmpo Wins 2019-20 NBA Defensive Player Of The Year Award

The voting results for the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive Team are below. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at pr.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.

Below are the other players who received votes for the 2019-20 NBA All-Defensive Team, listed at the position at which they received the most votes.  The “Total Points” category represents points that players received at any position, not just the position at which they are listed.

The DPOY was tenacious on the defensive end ? @Giannis_An34

(via @Bucks) pic.twitter.com/A6YZWpApFu

OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: GUARDS
Player (Team)	1st Team Votes (2 Points)	2nd Team Votes (1 Point)	Total Points
Kris Dunn (Chicago)	4	23	31
Kyle Lowry (Toronto)	4	15	23
Jrue Holiday (New Orleans)	2	14	18
Chris Paul (Oklahoma City)	4	5	13
Paul George (LA Clippers)	0	3	3
Jaylen Brown (Boston)*	0	2	2
Luka Dončić (Dallas)	1	0	2
James Harden (Houston)	1	0	2
Donte DiVincenzo (Milwaukee)	0	2	2
Dejounte Murray (San Antonio)	0	2	2
Fred VanVleet (Toronto)	0	2	2
Avery Bradley (Los Angeles Lakers)	0	1	1
Damian Lillard (Portland)	0	1	1
Khris Middleton (Milwaukee)	0	1	1
Russell Westbrook (Houston)	0	1	1

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) August 25, 2020