OKC Thunder: Serge Ibaka on NBA All-Defensive first team is not a shocker

“Like they say – ‘Duh,'” Mohammed said with a smile. “If he wasn't, it would have been a travesty.”

The 22-year-old Ibaka easily led the league in blocked shots with 241 this season – 106 more than runner-up DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Despite averaging just 27.2 minutes per game, Ibaka averaged 3.65 blocks.

“It's good first of all for myself and my teammates,” Ibaka said of being selected. “It's something that will give me more confidence to keep working on my defense, to keep being aggressive and try to help my team. I want to thank all my team because Perk (center Kendrick Perkins) helped me a lot. If I have this mentality right now to be aggressive on defense, it's because of Perk. He helped me a lot. Nick (Collison) also, Nazr, all the guys. Like I said, it's about team.”

Also named to the first team were league Most Valuable Player LeBron James of Miami, Orlando center Dwight Howard, Clippers point guard Chris Paul and Memphis guard and former Oklahoma State standout Tony Allen.

The team is chosen by position – two guards, two forwards, one center – and was voted on by the league's 30 head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players.

Thunder All-Stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook said Ibaka deserved to be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, an award selected by media members and won by New York center Tyson Chandler, who wound up on the All-Defensive second team behind Howard.

“That's a tremendous honor. It shows how much he's grown,” Durant said of Ibaka.

Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha received honorable mention in the voting. Westbrook received two first-team votes and Sefolosha received one.

Ibaka is one of 18 siblings and both his parents played for the national team in the Republic of Congo, where he was born.