ARWIND Santos remains as one of the top defensive players in the PBA even at 41.
The evergreen big man will be hailed by the PBA Press Corps as its Defensive Player of the Year during its 2022 Awards Night at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center on June 21.
Santos, who turned a new leaf just two weeks ago, will receive his third Defensive Player of the Year trophy after bagging the same award in 2008 and 2011.
The NorthPort veteran became only the third player to be bestowed the honor after Chris Jackson and Marc Pingris.
At 41, he’s also the oldest to win the accolade given by the men and women covering the PBA beat.
The award is the latest to be received by the former UAAP MVP out of Far Eastern University, who’s obviously getting a second wind in his PBA career.
He was earlier named as member of the Season 46 Mythical First Team and a member of the All-Defensive team during the Leo Awards.
His inclusion in the All-Defensive Team was his eighth, to be in the company of some of the league’s best defenders of all time such as Pingris, Jerry Codinera, and Glenn Capacio.
Santos missed being named a member of the All-Defensive Team the last six seasons after initially being a member of the select team seven straight times since turning pro in 2006.
The pride of Pampanga averaged 14.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and a league-best 1.5 blocks per game last season playing for San Miguel, and later with NorthPort.
In his 16-year pro career, Santos won MVP honor in 2013, is a nine-time champion, twice Finals MVP by the PBA Press Corps, two-time Best Player of the Conference, a 10-time Mythical First Team member, and 11-time All-Star.
