Noah named NBA Defensive Player of Year

New York, NY – New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah has been selected as the 2013-14 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the league announced Monday.

Noah, the anchor of a Chicago defense that yielded a league-low 91.8 points per game, received 100 out of a possible 125 first-place votes and 555 total points to easily outdistance Indiana center Roy Hibbert for the award.

The two-time All-Star also helped the Bulls rank second in the NBA in field goal percentage defense (.430) and finished sixth individually in rebounding (11.3 rpg). Noah added 1.51 blocks and 1.24 steals over 80 regular-season games, joining Detroit's Andre Drummond and New Orleans' Anthony Davis as the only players in 2013-14 to average 10 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals.

"He sets the tone for our defense and I cannot think of anyone who is more deserving of such a prestigious individual honor," said Bulls general manager Gar Forman. "We are all very proud of Joakim and want to congratulate him for being named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year."

Noah joins the legendary Michael Jordan (1987-88) as the only players in Bulls history to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors.

"I never thought I would be in this position," said Noah, who finished fourth in last year's balloting. "All I did was keep working."

Hibbert garnered eight first-place votes and 166 points to place second, with Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan third with 121 points while also being named atop eight ballots.

Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka, the runner-up for the award in 2011-12 and the third-place finisher last year, was fourth with 79 points.

Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol, the 2012-13 recipient, got just four points while missing considerable time this season due to a knee injury.