Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard named to NBA all-defense team for seventh time

Clippers star Kawhi Leonard was named to the NBA’s all-defense second team Monday, the seventh time he has earned all-defense honors during his 10-year career.

Joining Leonard on the second team were Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle and Miami’s Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo.

First-team honorees included Utah’s Rudy Gobert, who was recently named the defensive player of the year for a third time, along with Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons, Golden State’s Draymond Green and Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Among guards who did not make either all-defense team, Clippers All-Star Paul George finished fifth, with 11 points. His total included one all-defense first-team vote. Among the Clippers, only George and Leonard received votes.

Leonard’s 43 points — including eight first-team votes — were fewest among the second-team honorees but earned him his fourth second-team all-defense honor, in addition to his three first-team selections. Leonard was the league’s defensive player of the year in 2015 and 2016.

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