Kawhi Leonard Named 2015-16 NBA Defensive Player of the Year

For the second straight season, San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard is the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Leonard, 24, received 84 of a possible 130 first-place votes, per an NBA release. He finished 126 points ahead of Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, who earned 44 first-place votes. Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside finished in third place.

NBA TV also shared some of Leonard's remarks after he won the award:

Leonard is the first player to win consecutive DPOYs since Dwight Howard took home three straight from 2009 to 2011. He's the first non-center in a quarter-century (since Dennis Rodman in 1989-90 and 1990-91) to win two straight. Taken a step further, Leonard joins Sidney Moncrief as the only perimeter-oriented players to win back-to-back awards.

Player	1st-Place Votes	2nd-Place Votes	3rd-Place Votes	Total
Kawhi Leonard	84	41	4	547
Draymond Green	44	62	15	421
Hassan Whiteside	2	12	37	83
DeAndre Jordan	-	7	29	50
Paul Millsap	-	3	12	21

Hakeem Olajuwon and Leonard are the only two players in history with multiple DPOY awards and an NBA Finals MVP.

"The guy is in the running for MVP, and he's probably the best defensive player out of all of them," Spurs forward Boris Diaw said in February, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. "So, yeah, he's the best two-way player in the league if you ask me."

Leonard set a career high this season with 21.2 points per game, shooting 44.3 percent from behind the arc while emerging as the Spurs' offensive fulcrum. He and offseason acquisition LaMarcus Aldridge have successfully transitioned San Antonio away from its reliance on Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, leading the charge to a 67-win season.

For all of the praise Leonard's offensive ascent received, defense remains his true calling card. There is no better perimeter defender in the league. The 6'7" Leonard is a relentless hound, using his aggressiveness and athleticism to mirror the movements of even the league's best players.

The Spurs allow 4.6 more points over the course of 100 possessions with Leonard on the bench, per Basketball-Reference.com. Opponents shot 39.2 percent when defended by Leonard during the regular season, 5.7 percent worse than their average, per NBA.com. In December, Leonard swarmed Paul George and forced him into a 1-of-14 shooting night that may go on the Spurs star's Hall of Fame reel.

Tom Haberstroh of ESPN, citing stats from Synergy Sports Tech, further elaborated on Leonard's defensive prowess:

Because of Leonard's generally quiet demeanor, some basketball fans still don't realize we're talking about one of the game's five best players. Leonard should and most likely will be a top-three MVP candidate this season. Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Leonard were the NBA's best players all year. Curry will win the award, but the debate between James and Leonard is suddenly worthwhile.

Things are on the upswing for a kid who came into the NBA as an undersized power forward with a broken jumper.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.