The nightly entertainment spectacle that is the NBA culminates in an end of season awards show that passed out the hardware with a light, comedic touch.
The NBA handed out its 2018 season awards Monday night. Here’s a recap of the winners and highlights of the show.
A Convergence of Spectacle, Comedy, and Sports
Anthony Anderson was the host for the evening as the league treated its fans to a show that combined elements of the Oscars, an old-fashioned comedy roast, and an NBA highlight reel. Charles Barkley naturally received perhaps the hardest jab of the night. And the fashion…We’ll get to that at the appropriate time, however. In the meantime, let’s have quick look at the individual award winners.
Ben Simmons Wins Rookie of the Year
Out all last year with a season-ending injury, Ben Simmons had to wait an extra twelve months to make his Sixers’ debut. Fortunately for long suffering Philadelphia basketball fans, Simmons did not disappoint. An explosive threat every time he took the court, Simmons led a Sixers resurgence and took home ROY honors over Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell.
Rudy Gobert Takes Home Defensive Player of the Year Honors
Despite losing 27 games to a pair of injuries, Jazz center Rudy Gobert won the Defensive Player of the Year honors over fellow bigs Joel Embiid and Anthony Davis. His presence as an old fashioned rim protector made him the first Jazz player to win the award since Mark Eaton.
