SUMMARY
- It was recently announced that Bam Adebayo, Rudy Gobert, and Victor Wembanyama were the finalists for the DPOY award.
- Anthony Davis didn't hold back against the league as the Lakers star he was overlooked once again.
The Los Angeles Lakers have transformed into one of the best teams in the league this year and two players have undoubtedly played a pivotal role. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have led the team back to the playoffs, which is where the iconic franchise belongs. There have been moments where the world doubted them, especially at the start of the season. But the Lakers certainly look reborn, thanks to a world-class roster.
Everyone knows the brilliance of LeBron, who just proves that he is a freak of nature time and time again. But the unsung hero of the Lakers team would be the one and only Anthony Davis. It must be mentioned that there was some major doubt over his abilities to represent the Lakers and whether he could deliver on the big stage because he has silenced all of his critics with an exceptional 23-24 season.
The 2023-24 #KiaDPOY finalists:
⭐️ Bam Adebayo
⭐️ Rudy Gobert
⭐️ Victor Wembanyama pic.twitter.com/1RoZsV6kDR— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 21, 2024
Despite his amazing defensive numbers, AD was not included as a finalist for the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year award. Even San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama made his way into the final three, alongside Bam Adebayo and Rudy Gobert. After this announcement was made, AD didn’t hold back one bit from criticizing the NBA.
Anthony Davis switches focus to championships after being ‘overlooked’ for DPOY award
Recently, the Lakers star spoke to ESPN about how he was overlooked for the award once again. He said, “I’ll never get it. They’re not giving it to me. The league doesn’t like me. I’m the best defensive player in the league. I can switch 1 through 5. I can guard the pick-and-roll the best in the league, from a big standpoint. I block shots. I rebound.”
“I’ll never get it. They’re not giving it to me. The league doesn’t like me. I’m the best defensive player in the league… I’m over it.”
Anthony Davis speaks after being excluded from the Defensive Player of the Year finalists 👀
(Via @mcten, ESPN – https://t.co/gdoH214vts) pic.twitter.com/xEzhu2SXSy
— Sportsmanor (@sports_manor) April 22, 2024
“I don’t know what else to do. I’m over it. I’m just going to do what I got to do to help the team win and try to play for a championship. Accolades and individual awards, I’m done with those,” he added. As he mentions, it certainly looks like AD will stop trying to win the award, especially after being overlooked for multiple years now. The Lakers have a fighting chance to win the NBA title, and Davis will be absolutely vital in the team’s playoff run.
NBA fans back AD’s claim for the DPOY award
When the finalists were announced, even NBA fans agreed that Davis should have been on the list. A fan even posted on X, “What a joke to not even have AD in the top 3,” while another wrote, “Garbage, leaving AD off is a firing offense on the voters!”
The Anthony Davis disrespect is unbelievable
— ᴀ$ᴀᴘ (@AlexNavidi) April 21, 2024
Garbage, leaving AD off is a firing offense on the voters!
— 🦂Art (@Arty_G23) April 21, 2024
What a joke to not even have AD in the top 3
— 🥷🏽 (@LBJcrib) April 22, 2024
For those who don’t know, the NBA DPOY award is chosen by 124 writers and broadcasters in the league. A 5-3-1 point system is used in the voting system and each member will be eligible to make three votes. Third-places are worth one point, second-places accumulate to three points, and first-placed players will get five points. This will be the voting and point system that will ultimately decide the winner.