NEW YORK, April 20 (UPI) -- Detroit's Ben Wallace, in the most convincing vote ever, Saturday was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Pistons to the Central Division title.
A 6-9 center-forward, Wallace became just the fourth player in history to lead the NBA in rebounds and blocks, averaging 13.0 and 4.8 per game, respectively.
Pacing the NBA in both categories is so rare it had been accomplished only by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1975-76), Bill Walton (1976-77) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1989-90).
Saturday, Wallace joined an elite group of players to win the defensive honor, which has been claimed by the likes of Michael Jordan, Sidney Moncrief and Dennis Rodman. Wallace received 96.7 percent of the votes (116 of a possible 120) from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves finished second.
Miami Heat center Alonzo Mourning had held the highest margin of victory, receiving 75.4 percent of votes in 1999 for the first of his two straight awards.
A six-year veteran who was undrafted out of Virginia Union, Wallace averaged 7.6 points and 1.73 steals per game this season, helping the Pistons to a 50-32 record and their first division title since 1989-90 -- the year of their second straight NBA title.
The Pistons ranked sixth in the NBA in points allowed at 92.2 per game -- after yielding 97.3 last season -- and topped the league with 565 blocks.
