The 2013 Defensive Player of the Year decision remains a staple of conversation in NBA circles. That year, Marc Gasol won the award over LeBron James, but the controversy comes from the fact that Gasol didn’t even make the All-Defensive First Team.
The confusion stems from the voting process at the time. The media decided the DPOY winner, while coaches selected the All-Defensive Teams.
Even so, many still find it difficult to wrap their heads around Gasol taking home DPOY, especially since two other centers, Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah, finished ahead of him on the All-Defensive First Team. In fact, if not for a tie in votes between Chandler and Noah, Gasol wouldn’t have made an All-Defensive Team at all.
Now, Houston Rockets head coach Ime Udoka shared his thoughts on that season when asked if he was using Gasol’s defensive highlights to teach Rockets big man Alperen Sengun.
While the voting process explains how Gasol won DPOY, Udoka’s comments show a different angle of skepticism. He recalled playing against Gasol that season with the San Antonio Spurs, subtly hinting that Gasol didn’t leave the kind of impression expected of a DPOY-caliber defender.
“No we did not show Alpy Marc Gasol, but if I’m not mistaken I think he won (DPOY) and didn’t get first-team that year. If I’m remembering correctly,” Udoka said. “It was a weird year. I found it a little weird that (Gasol) got it. I remember playing against him a ton in San Antonio. So, I’ll leave that there.”
Rockets coach Ime Udoka was asked if they show Sengun clips of Marc Gasol defensively:
“No we did not show Alpy Marc Gasol, but if I’m not mistaken I think he won (DPOY) and didn’t get first-team that year. If I’m remembering correctly.
“It was a weird year. I found it a…
— Drew Hill (@DrewHill_DM) January 9, 2025
