The NBA named Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons as the Defensive Player of the Year on Saturday, receiving 116 of a possible 120 votes from a panel of sportscasters and writers.  Wallace won the award by the largest margin ever, with Kevin Garnett (2), Kobe Bryant (1) and Dikembe Mutombo (1) also receiving votes.

"This is something I have worked very hard for," said an emotional Wallace, who gave most of the credit to his coaches and teammates. "I have based my career on playing defense and rebounding, so to win this award, it's an honor I will cherish the rest of my life."

"Ben epitomizes everything we are trying to be and what we are trying to accomplish as a team and an organization," Pistons President Joe Dumars said. "But, this just goes to show you how much winning matters. I thought Ben played just as well last year and it was a travesty that he didn't even get third team all-defense. But I understood because people looked at our record."  

Wallace joins the elite group of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in both blocks and rebounds in the one season.

"Ben epitomizes everything we are trying to be and what we are trying to accomplish as a team and an organization," Dumars said. "But, this just goes to show you how much winning matters. I thought Ben played just as well last year and it was a travesty that he didn't even get third team all-defense. But I understood because people looked at our record."

"I think we would have launched an investigation if he wasn't selected," Dumars added.