Nuggets’ Camby named NBA’s best defender

It is the first such honor for Camby, who led the NBA with 3.3 blocks per game and averaged 11.7 rebounds per game to finish in a tie for fourth place in the league. He also averaged 1.2 steals, a career-high 3.2 assists and 11.2 points as Denver finished with a 45-37 record and earned the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Camby received 70 first-place votes and 431 points from a panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen finished second in the voting with 206 points, while teammate Tim Duncan was third with 158 points.

The 6-foot-11 Camby pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked two shots in Denver’s series-opening win over San Antonio in the first round of the NBA playoffs, then had 18 rebounds, 10 points and three blocks in a 97-88 loss in Game 2.

Camby became just the second Denver player to win the award, joining Dikembe Mutombo, who captured the first of his four Defensive Player honors during the 1994-95 season with the Nuggets.