In 2016, star small forward Kawhi Leonard won which annual NBA award?

In 2016, star small forward Kawhi Leonard won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He received the honor for the 2015–16 season while playing for the San Antonio Spurs, becoming the first non-center to win the award in consecutive seasons since Dennis Rodman did so in 1989–90 and 1990–91.

Leonard’s defense was built around powerful hands, quick reactions, strong positioning, and the ability to guard several positions. In the 2015–16 voting, he received 84 first-place votes and 547 total points, finishing ahead of Golden State’s Draymond Green and Miami’s Hassan Whiteside.

The award is commonly abbreviated DPOY. It is separate from the NBA All-Defensive Team selections, which recognize multiple players each season. Leonard also won the award in 2015, making 2016 his second straight victory. He later became known as one of basketball’s premier two-way players because of his defensive impact and scoring ability.