Los Angeles- When one thinks defence in the NBA this season, one thinks Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics. Garnett, recently named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, was selected to his ninth NBA All-Defensive First Team, the league announced on Monday.
The Celtics' forward was joined by NBA Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, who earned the honour for the eighth time in his 12-year career.
Both received 52 points overall, including 24 first-place ballots from a panel consisting of the NBA's 30 head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for players on their own team.
Rounding out the first team were Marcus Camby of the Denver Nuggets, who finished runner-up to Garnett for Defensive Player of the Year. The 2007 Defensive Player of the Year was the league leader in blocks (3.61 bpg) and second in rebounds (13.1 rpg).
Bruce Bowen was named for the eighth time, while San Antonio Spurs' teammate Tim Duncan earned his 11th consecutive selection.
Garnett led Boston to a league-best 66-16 regular-season record - a 42-game turnaround from the previous year - by bringing in a defensive-minded mentality - after being acquired from Minnesota last summer.
As a result, the Celtics held opponents to a stingy 90.3 points per game - nine fewer than last season - and a league-best 419 field goal shooting percentage.
The NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets, Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons, Raja Bell of the Phoenix Suns, along with first-timers Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.
