Template:Short description Template:Pp-pc Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox sports award Template:NBA Awards 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="garnett">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dwight Howard has won the award three times,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and is the only player ever to have won it in three consecutive seasons.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Sidney Moncrief, Mark Eaton, Dennis Rodman, Hakeem Olajuwon, Alonzo Mourning and Kawhi Leonard have each won it twice. The most recent award recipient is Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Although five of the first six winners were perimeter players, the award has traditionally been given to big men who rebound and block shots.<ref name=stein_01082004>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Only eight perimeter players have been honored: Moncrief, Alvin Robertson, Michael Cooper, Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, Ron Artest, Kawhi Leonard<ref name="winderman_04242013">Template:Cite news</ref> and Marcus Smart. Payton and Smart are the only two point guards to have won.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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;<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Jordan, Olajuwon and Antetokounmpo won both awards in the same season.<ref name=winderman_04242013 /> 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.<ref name="olajuwon">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jordan is the only recipient to have also won the scoring title in the same season,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> when he also became the only player to win the award while averaging over 30 points per game (35.0).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As part of efforts to reduce load management for star players in the league, effective with the 2023–24 season, when a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union took 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".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }} 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.</ref>

WinnersEdit

File:Jordan by Lipofsky 16577.jpg
Michael Jordan is one of five players to have won both an MVP and a Defensive Player of the Year award in their career.
File:David Robinson spurs (cropped).jpg
David Robinson won the award in the 1991–92 NBA season.
File:PaytonHeat.jpg
Gary Payton was the first point guard to win the award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
File:Dwight howard 2009z.jpg
Dwight Howard won the award in three consecutive years (2009–2011).
File:Rudy Gobert.jpg
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
§ citation CitationClass=web

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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
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* Shooting guard Template:USA Milwaukee Bucks
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (2) Shooting guard Template:Flagu Milwaukee Bucks (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname Center Template:Flagu Utah Jazz
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname Shooting guard Template:Flagu San Antonio Spurs
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname*<ref group="lower-alpha" name="note_a">Won NBA championship in same season</ref> Shooting guard Template:Flagu Los Angeles Lakers
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname*<ref group="lower-alpha" name="note_b">Won NBA Most Valuable Player Award in same season</ref> Shooting guard Template:Flagu Chicago Bulls
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname (2) Center Template:Flagu Utah Jazz (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname*<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_a /> Small forward Template:Flagu Detroit Pistons
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (2) Small forward Template:Flagu Detroit Pistons (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* Center Template:Flagu San Antonio Spurs (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* Center Template:Flagu<ref group="lower-alpha" name="note_c">Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria, but became a naturalized United States citizen in 1993.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref></ref>

Houston Rockets
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (2)<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_a /><ref group=lower-alpha name=note_b /> Center Template:Flagu<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_c /> Houston Rockets (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* Center Template:ZAI<ref group="lower-alpha" name="note_d">Zaire was renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo in May 1997.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref></ref>

Denver Nuggets
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* Point guard Template:Flagu Seattle SuperSonics
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (2) Center Template:Flagu<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_d /> Atlanta Hawks
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (3) Center Template:Flag<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_d /> Atlanta Hawks (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* Center Template:Flagu Miami Heat
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (2) Center Template:Flagu Miami Heat (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (4) Center Template:Flagu<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_d /> Philadelphia 76ers
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* Center Template:Flagu Detroit Pistons (3)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (2) Center Template:Flagu Detroit Pistons (4)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname Small forward Template:Flagu Indiana Pacers
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (3) Center Template:Flagu Detroit Pistons (5)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (4) Center Template:Flagu Detroit Pistons (6)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname Center Template:Flagu Denver Nuggets (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname*<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_a /> Power forward Template:Flagu Boston Celtics
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* Center Template:Flagu Orlando Magic
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (2) Center Template:Flagu Orlando Magic (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname* (3) Center Template:Flagu Orlando Magic (3)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname Center Template:Flagu New York Knicks
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname Center {{#invoke:flag Spain}} Memphis Grizzlies
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname Center {{#invoke:flag France}}<ref group="lower-alpha">Noah was born in the United States to a French father and a Swedish mother, and has played on the France national basketball team.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref></ref>

Chicago Bulls (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ Small forward Template:Flagu San Antonio Spurs (3)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ (2) Small forward Template:Flagu San Antonio Spurs (4)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_a /> Power forward Template:Flagu Golden State Warriors
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ Center Template:Flagu Utah Jazz (3)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ (2) Center Template:Flagu Utah Jazz (4)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^<ref group=lower-alpha name=note_b /> Power forward Template:GRE Milwaukee Bucks (3)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ (3) Center Template:Flagu Utah Jazz (5)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ Point guard Template:Flagu Boston Celtics (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ Power forward Template:Flagu Memphis Grizzlies (2)
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ (4) Center Template:Flagu Minnesota Timberwolves
Template:Nbay Template:Sortname^ Power forward Template:Flagu Cleveland Cavaliers

Multi-time winnersEdit

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

TeamsEdit

Awards Teams Years
6 Detroit Pistons Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
5 Utah Jazz Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
4 San Antonio Spurs Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
3 Milwaukee Bucks Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
Orlando Magic Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
2 Atlanta Hawks Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
Boston Celtics Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
Chicago Bulls Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
Denver Nuggets Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
Houston Rockets Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
Miami Heat Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
Memphis Grizzlies Template:Nbay, Template:Nbay
1 Golden State Warriors Template:Nbay
Indiana Pacers Template:Nbay
Los Angeles Lakers Template:Nbay
Minnesota Timberwolves Template:Nbay
New York Knicks Template:Nbay
Philadelphia 76ers Template:Nbay
Seattle SuperSonics Template:Nbay
Cleveland Cavaliers Template:Nbay
0 Brooklyn Nets None
Charlotte Hornets
Dallas Mavericks
Los Angeles Clippers
New Orleans Pelicans
Phoenix Suns
Portland Trail Blazers
Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors
Washington Wizards

See alsoEdit

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

General

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Template:NBA Defensive Players of the Year Template:Featured list