ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dwight Howard has become the first player in league history to be named the NBA's defensive player of the year for three consecutive seasons.
Howard averaged 14.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and a career-high 1.3 steals for the Magic this season. He ranked second in the NBA in rebounds behind Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, and was tied for second in blocked shots behind Bucks center Andrew Bogut.
The Magic announced the honor Monday in a news release.
It could be the first of several awards Howard earns this postseason. He is considered a top candidate for MVP along with Derrick Rose and LeBron James. Howard is also expected to be a first-team All-NBA selection.
For now, the seventh-year center would settle for leading the Magic to a playoff victory on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Orlando lost Game 1 at home on Saturday despite a playoff career-high 46 points and 19 rebounds from Howard, who also had eight turnovers and a block in 46 minutes.
Howard joins Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo as the only players to win the award at least three times since the league began handing out the honor after the 1982-83 season. Wallace and Mutombo won it four times.
This year's vote, from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada, wasn't close. The 6-foot-11 Howard received 585 points, including 114 first-place votes, with Boston's Kevin Garnett finishing second with 77 points and Dallas' Tyson Chandler in third with 70 points.
Players were awarded five points for a first-place vote, three for second-place votes and one point for third-place selections.
Howard garnered a near-unanimous nod among 35 staffers in an ESPN.com poll, with one vote going to Bulls guard Keith Bogans and one to Suns forward Grant Hill.
Michael Wallace covers the NBA for ESPN.com.
Howard averaged 14.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and a career-high 1.3 steals for the Magic this season. He ranked second in the NBA in rebounds behind Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, and was tied for second in blocked shots behind Bucks center Andrew Bogut.
The Magic announced the honor Monday in a news release.
It could be the first of several awards Howard earns this postseason. He is considered a top candidate for MVP along with Derrick Rose and LeBron James. Howard is also expected to be a first-team All-NBA selection.
For now, the seventh-year center would settle for leading the Magic to a playoff victory on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Orlando lost Game 1 at home on Saturday despite a playoff career-high 46 points and 19 rebounds from Howard, who also had eight turnovers and a block in 46 minutes.
Howard joins Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo as the only players to win the award at least three times since the league began handing out the honor after the 1982-83 season. Wallace and Mutombo won it four times.
This year's vote, from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada, wasn't close. The 6-foot-11 Howard received 585 points, including 114 first-place votes, with Boston's Kevin Garnett finishing second with 77 points and Dallas' Tyson Chandler in third with 70 points.
Players were awarded five points for a first-place vote, three for second-place votes and one point for third-place selections.
Howard garnered a near-unanimous nod among 35 staffers in an ESPN.com poll, with one vote going to Bulls guard Keith Bogans and one to Suns forward Grant Hill.
Michael Wallace covers the NBA for ESPN.com.
