Evan Mobley is a beast on defence, officially. The 23-year-old center-forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers was revealed as the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Thursday, 24 April, beating out Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels and Golden State’s Draymond Green.
The honour came on the heels of a superb performance during the regular season, which saw the four-year veteran make worthwhile contributions on both sides of the basketball.
On defence, Mobley averaged 1.6 blocks and 7.0 defensive rebounds per game, while contesting 10.4 shots. On offence, he averaged 18.5 points and 3.2 assists per game, making his presence felt on the court.
A bogeyman for opponents in every way possible, Mobley’s efforts were more than appreciated by his teammates, who celebrated the honour alongside their two-way titan from a conference room in Miami, Florida.
“The whole team was with me, and we were all watching the broadcast with us,” Mobley told broadcasters.
The award meant a lot to the all-star center-forward, personally, as well.
“It was a big goal of mine coming into this year,” said Mobley. “I was focused on it [for] the majority of the year. It just feels great to finally come and get this award.”
He became the second-youngest player in history to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year honours, and only the fifth 23-year-old to do so.
Garnering more first place votes than any other player, he won the award with little doubt about his defensive capabilities.
Now, he’ll look to lead the Cavaliers to their first championship appearance since the 2017-18 season.
