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NBA Defensive Player of the Year

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NBA Defensive Player of the Year
Ben Wallace, Dikembe Mutombo and Rudy Gobert have won the award a record four times.
SportBasketball
LeagueNational Basketball Association
Awarded forBest defensive player in regular season of the National Basketball Association
History
First award1982–83
Most wins4 (three-way tie)
Most recentRudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves (2024)
National Basketball Association awards and honors
Team awards
Individual awards
Honors

The NBA Defensive Player of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points, second-place votes are worth three points, and a third-place vote is worth one. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.[1][2] Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy, named after the two-time defensive player of the year winner.

Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace, and Rudy Gobert have each won the award a record four times.[3] Dwight Howard has won the award three times,[4] and is the only player ever to have won it in three consecutive seasons.[5] Sidney Moncrief, Mark Eaton, Dennis Rodman, Hakeem Olajuwon, Alonzo Mourning and Kawhi Leonard have each won it twice. The most recent award recipient is Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Although five of the first six winners were perimeter players, the award has traditionally been given to big men who rebound and block shots.[6][7] Only eight perimeter players have been honored: Moncrief, Alvin Robertson, Michael Cooper, Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, Ron Artest, Kawhi Leonard[8] and Marcus Smart. Payton and Smart are the only two point guards to have won.[9] Jordan, Olajuwon, David Robinson, Kevin Garnett and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only winners to have also won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) during their careers;[10] Jordan, Olajuwon and Antetokounmpo won both awards in the same season.[8] In Olajuwon's case, he is the only one to have also won the NBA Finals MVP Award and the NBA championship in the same season.[11] Jordan is the only recipient to have also won the scoring title in the same season,[12] when he also became the only player to win the award while averaging over 30 points per game (35.0).[13] On four occasions, the Defensive Player of the Year recipient was not voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in the same year. Robertson in 1986, Mutombo (1995), Tyson Chandler (2012), and Marc Gasol (2013) were instead named to the second team. Whereas the Defensive Player of the Year is voted on by the media, the All-Defensive teams were voted on by NBA coaches prior to 2014.[14][15]

Effective with the 2023–24 season, when a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union takes effect, players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for most major regular-season awards, including Defensive Player of the Year. To receive credit for a game for purposes of award eligibility, a player must have been credited with at least 20 minutes played. However, two "near misses", in which the player appeared for 15 to 19 minutes, can be included in the 65-game count. Protections also exist for players who suffer season-ending injuries, who are eligible with 62 credited games, and those affected by what the CBA calls "bad faith circumstances".[16][17]

Winners

[edit]
head shot of Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is one of five players to have won both an MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year award in their career.
head shot of David Robinson
David Robinson won the award in the 1991–92 NBA season.
Gary Payton was the first point guard to win the award.[18]
Dwight Howard at a game
Dwight Howard won the award in three consecutive years (2009–2011).
Rudy Gobert won the award four times in a seven season span.
^ Denotes player who is still active in the NBA
* Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
† Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
§ 1st time eligible for Hall of Fame in 2025[19]
Player (#) Denotes the number of times the player has received the award
Team (#) Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won
Season Player Position Nationality Team
1982–83 Sidney Moncrief* Shooting guard  United States Milwaukee Bucks
1983–84 Sidney Moncrief* (2) Shooting guard  United States Milwaukee Bucks (2)
1984–85 Mark Eaton Center  United States Utah Jazz
1985–86 Alvin Robertson Shooting guard  United States San Antonio Spurs
1986–87 Michael Cooper*[b] Shooting guard  United States Los Angeles Lakers
1987–88 Michael Jordan*[c] Shooting guard  United States Chicago Bulls
1988–89 Mark Eaton (2) Center  United States Utah Jazz (2)
1989–90 Dennis Rodman*[b] Small forward  United States Detroit Pistons
1990–91 Dennis Rodman* (2) Small forward  United States Detroit Pistons (2)
1991–92 David Robinson* Center  United States San Antonio Spurs (2)
1992–93 Hakeem Olajuwon* Center  Nigeria[d] Houston Rockets
1993–94 Hakeem Olajuwon* (2)[b][c] Center  Nigeria[d] Houston Rockets (2)
1994–95 Dikembe Mutombo* Center  Zaire[e] Denver Nuggets
1995–96 Gary Payton* Point guard  United States Seattle SuperSonics
1996–97 Dikembe Mutombo* (2) Center  Zaire[e] Atlanta Hawks
1997–98 Dikembe Mutombo* (3) Center  DR Congo[e] Atlanta Hawks (2)
1998–99 Alonzo Mourning* Center  United States Miami Heat
1999–00 Alonzo Mourning* (2) Center  United States Miami Heat (2)
2000–01 Dikembe Mutombo* (4) Center  DR Congo[e] Philadelphia 76ers
2001–02 Ben Wallace* Center  United States Detroit Pistons (3)
2002–03 Ben Wallace* (2) Center  United States Detroit Pistons (4)
2003–04 Ron Artest Small forward  United States Indiana Pacers
2004–05 Ben Wallace* (3) Center  United States Detroit Pistons (5)
2005–06 Ben Wallace* (4) Center  United States Detroit Pistons (6)
2006–07 Marcus Camby Center  United States Denver Nuggets (2)
2007–08 Kevin Garnett*[b] Power forward  United States Boston Celtics
2008–09 Dwight Howard† Center  United States Orlando Magic
2009–10 Dwight Howard† (2) Center  United States Orlando Magic (2)
2010–11 Dwight Howard† (3) Center  United States Orlando Magic (3)
2011–12 Tyson Chandler Center  United States New York Knicks
2012–13 Marc Gasol§ Center  Spain Memphis Grizzlies
2013–14 Joakim Noah Center  France[f] Chicago Bulls (2)
2014–15 Kawhi Leonard^ Small forward  United States San Antonio Spurs (3)
2015–16 Kawhi Leonard^ (2) Small forward  United States San Antonio Spurs (4)
2016–17 Draymond Green^[b] Power forward  United States Golden State Warriors
2017–18 Rudy Gobert^ Center  France Utah Jazz (3)
2018–19 Rudy Gobert^ (2) Center  France Utah Jazz (4)
2019–20 Giannis Antetokounmpo^[c] Power forward  Greece Milwaukee Bucks (3)
2020–21 Rudy Gobert^ (3) Center  France Utah Jazz (5)
2021–22 Marcus Smart^ Point guard  United States Boston Celtics (2)
2022–23 Jaren Jackson Jr.^ Power forward  United States Memphis Grizzlies (2)
2023–24 Rudy Gobert^ (4) Center  France Minnesota Timberwolves

Multi-time winners

[edit]
Awards Player Team Years
4 Democratic Republic of the Congo Dikembe Mutombo Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks (2), Philadelphia 76ers 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001
United States Ben Wallace Detroit Pistons 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
France Rudy Gobert Utah Jazz (3), Minnesota Timberwolves 2018, 2019, 2021, 2024
3 United States Dwight Howard Orlando Magic 2009, 2010, 2011
2 United States Sidney Moncrief Milwaukee Bucks 1983, 1984
United States Mark Eaton Utah Jazz 1985, 1989
United States Dennis Rodman Detroit Pistons 1990, 1991
Nigeria Hakeem Olajuwon Houston Rockets 1993, 1994
United States Alonzo Mourning Miami Heat 1999, 2000
United States Kawhi Leonard San Antonio Spurs 2015, 2016

Teams

[edit]
Awards Teams Years
6 Detroit Pistons 1990, 1991, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006
5 Utah Jazz 1985, 1989, 2018, 2019, 2021
4 San Antonio Spurs 1986, 1992, 2015, 2016
3 Milwaukee Bucks 1983, 1984, 2020
Orlando Magic 2009, 2010, 2011
2 Atlanta Hawks 1997, 1998
Boston Celtics 2008, 2022
Chicago Bulls 1988, 2014
Denver Nuggets 1995, 2007
Houston Rockets 1993, 1994
Miami Heat 1999, 2000
Memphis Grizzlies 2013, 2023
1 Golden State Warriors 2017
Indiana Pacers 2004
Los Angeles Lakers 1987
Minnesota Timberwolves 2024
New York Knicks 2012
Philadelphia 76ers 2001
Seattle SuperSonics 1996
0 Brooklyn Nets None
Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Clippers
New Orleans Pelicans
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years.
  2. ^ a b c d e Won NBA championship in same season
  3. ^ a b c Won NBA Most Valuable Player Award in same season
  4. ^ a b Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria, but became a naturalized United States citizen in 1993.[20]
  5. ^ a b c d Zaire was renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 1997.[21]
  6. ^ Noah was born in the United States to a French father and a Swedish mother, and has played on the France national basketball team.[22]

References

[edit]
General
  • "Defensive Player of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on January 26, 2012. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
  • "Defensive Player of the Year Award Winners". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2011. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
Specific
  1. ^ "Nuggets' Camby Wins NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 1, 2007. Archived from the original on November 8, 2012. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  2. ^ "Kevin Garnett Wins Defensive Player of the Year Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 25, 2008. Archived from the original on June 29, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  3. ^ "Ben Wallace Wins Fourth Defensive Player of the Year Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 8, 2006. Archived from the original on November 28, 2015. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
  4. ^ Botemps, Tim (June 10, 2021). "Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert wins 3rd career NBA Defensive Player of Year award". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  5. ^ McMenamin, Dave (February 5, 2013). "Dwight Howard trying to avoid 'circus'". ESPN. Archived from the original on February 6, 2013.
  6. ^ Stein, Marc (January 8, 2004). "Defending the little guy". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2016.
  7. ^ Moore, Matt (April 7, 2015). "Rethinking Defensive Player of the Year: The Defensive Duo Award". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Winderman, Ira (April 24, 2013). "LeBron second in vote for NBA Defensive Player of Year". South Floria Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on March 15, 2022.
  9. ^ "Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart wins NBA Defensive Player of the Year award for first time". ESPN.com. April 18, 2022. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  10. ^ Velazquez, Matt (August 25, 2020). "Giannis Antetokounmpo is named NBA defensive player of the year and wants to share the credit". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  11. ^ "Hakeem Olajuwon Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on June 22, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
  12. ^ Sakamoto, Bob (May 25, 1988). "JORDAN EASILY DEFEATS BIRD IN MVP VOTING". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  13. ^ "By the numbers: Michel Jordan's unparalleled Bull career". NBC Sports Chicago. February 18, 2016. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  14. ^ Begley, Ian (May 23, 2012). "Tyson named to all-defensive second team". ESPN Internet Ventures. Archived from the original on June 26, 2012.
  15. ^ McGraw, Mike (June 2, 2014). "Noah dominates all-defensive voting". Daily Herald. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
  16. ^ Helin, Kurt (April 18, 2023). "More details emerge on new NBA CBA, including details on 65-game threshold for awards". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  17. ^ "Article XXIX, Section 6: Games Played Requirement for Certain League Honors" (PDF). NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. National Basketball Players Association. July 2023. pp. 432–38. Retrieved September 13, 2023. The games played requirement specifically applies to the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player awards, as well as the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams.
  18. ^ Gress, Steve (September 4, 2013). "Looking back at The Glove". Corvallis Gazette-Times. Archived from the original on December 31, 2014.
  19. ^ "2025 Hall of Fame Candidates". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  20. ^ "Hakeem Olajuwon Bio: 1992–93". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on May 16, 2008. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
  21. ^ "Democratic Republic of the Congo". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
  22. ^ "Joakim Noah". HoopsHype.com. Archived from the original on March 27, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.

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