The NBA Players With The Most Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

The Defensive Player of the Year Award is given out at the end of each season to the player that voters think had the biggest defensive impact that particular season. The award’s inaugural season was the 1982-83 season, with its first winner being Sidney Moncrief of the Milwaukee Bucks. Five of the first six times that the award was given out, it was given to a perimeter defender. That trend has since been demolished as big men have dominated the award for the past 2 decades.

Being named the Defensive Player of the Year is one of the highest honors that a player can receive in the NBA. It means that for one entire season, you were the best in the world at 50.0% of the game of basketball. It means that your efforts on that side of the ball led directly to team success and a chance to compete for an NBA championship. It means that they are perhaps the most feared individual in the world when an opponent is on offense and sees that player across from them on defense. Sometimes it could mean that you have the biggest target on your back as well. Being the Defensive Player Of The Year for many is a badge of the highest honor, and today you will see that some were far superior to others.

These are the NBA players that have won the most amount of Defensive Player of the Year awards in NBA history.

Players That Have Won The Defensive Player Of The Year Award One Time

Alvin Robertson (1986), Michael Cooper (1987), Michael Jordan (1988), David Robinson (1992), Gary Payton (1996), Ron Artest (2004), Marcus Camby (2007), Kevin Garnett (2008), Tyson Chandler (2012), Marc Gasol (2013), Joakim Noah (2014), Draymond Green (2017), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2020), Marcus Smart (2022)

As you can see above, there have been 14 one-time winners of the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Five of these 14 players have been either a point guard or shooting guard, and the rest of the winners in total, including multi-time winners, have been from the power forward or center positions. There has never been a single point guard or shooting guard to win the award twice. There are some players that have only won this award once that also perhaps should have won it more.

There are also a few players on this list who are still currently playing and could add to their award total in the coming years. The player least likely to repeat as a Defensive Player of the Year winner is Draymond Green. He was in the No. 1 spot for the award in 2022, but injuries derailed hopes of his second. The player most likely to repeat as a winner would be Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is the best rim protector in basketball and just a nightmare defensive matchup for any opponent. The most recent award winner was Marcus Smart in 2022, and he was the first point guard to win the award since Gary Payton in 1996, so his chances are slim as well.

Now it is time to get to the players who have been the Defensive Player of the Year more than once.

Sidney Moncrief – 2 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 1983, 1984

Sidney Moncrief was an all-around, versatile shooting guard during the 1980s. Moncrief would win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award in its first two years of existence in 1983 and 1984. Moncrief used his incredible athletic ability to laterally eliminate opponents on the perimeter and become a surprisingly good shot-blocker from the weak side. Moncrief was the epitome of hustle and hard work. He was always the first player back down the floor after a turnover or a made bucket.

Moncrief won’t be seen at the top of many statistical leaderboards, but he was as consistent as he could be during his 12-year NBA career. He averaged over 1.0 SPG in 8 of those 12 seasons and over 20.0 PPG 3 times. During his 2 Defensive Player of the Year award-winning seasons, Moncrief swiped 1.4 SPG or better and was named an All-Star both seasons. He ranks 3rd in Bucks history with 874 steals, behind only Quinn Buckner and Paul Pressey.

Mark Eaton – 2 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 1985, 1989

Mark Eaton might just be the most underrated defender in NBA history. Eaton was a 2-time Defensive Player of the Year award winner along with 5 All-Defensive Teams and the single most blocks in a season with 456. It is still the only season in NBA history that a player has recorded over 400 blocks in a season. Eaton used his 7’44, 275-pound frame to become one of the greatest interior defenders of all time.

Mark Eaton played just 11 seasons in the NBA, all with the Utah Jazz from 1983 through 1993. In that time, he led the NBA in BPG 4 times and averaged 3.5 BPG for his career. He recorded over 300 blocks in a season 6 times and over 200 blocks 9 times. Eaton’s 3.5 BPG for his career ranks 1st in NBA history, and his 3,064 total blocks rank 4th. In 1985, when he won his first award, he led the NBA with 5.6 BPG. In 1989, when he won for the 2nd time, he averaged 3.8 BPG.

Dennis Rodman – 2 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 1990, 1991

Before he was winning championships alongside Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman was his rival preventing him from winning championships with the Detroit Pistons. Rodman was a member of the Pistons from 1987 through 1993 and helped them to win 2 championships in 1989 and 1990. Rodman’s impact went way beyond the numbers, as he only averaged under 1.0 BPG and 1.0 SPG in each of his award-winning seasons. As is the case most of the time, the numbers do not tell the entire story.

Rodman was an All-Star in 1990 when he won his first Defensive Player of the Year award and averaged 0.6 SPG and 0.7 BPG. He was most revered for the versatility he displayed on the defensive side of the ball. He could start out taking on the challenge of an opposing team’s big man and have no problem switching onto smaller guards and wings. This versatility allowed him to guard the opposing team’s best player every night, no matter where they were on the floor. It was this defensive dominance that earned him the award again in 1991.

Hakeem Olajuwon – 2 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 1993, 1994

The version of Hakeem Olajuwon that took the NBA over from 1993 through 1995 was one of the highest peaks for any player in NBA history. Hakeem used his incredible skill and IQ on each side of the ball to earn a pile of individual awards and 2 championships during this time. The defensive presence Olajuwon brought to the court was overwhelming at times for opponents. Not only was Hakeem an insatiable shot-blocker but a pest on the perimeter that no guard aimed to switch onto.

During these 2 championship seasons is when Hakeem went toe-to-toe with the league’s very best big men and made them look like they had never played basketball a day in their lives. During the 1993 season, Olajuwon led the league with 4.2 BPG. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award and was named an All-Star. The following season, Olajuwon would be named the Defensive Player of the Year, MVP, and the Finals MVP when he led the Houston Rockets to their first title in franchise history.

Alonzo Mourning – 2 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 1999, 2000

Alonzo Mourning is exactly the kind of player that any team would be lucky to tab as their franchise cornerstone. That is exactly what the Miami Heat did during the late 90s and 2000s with their 2-time Defensive Player of the Year. Mourning was a beast on the court, full of passion and intensity that boiled over on more than one occasion. He was one of the most elite rim protectors in history at his peak, and just as he wrapped up his 2nd Defensive Player of the Year award, he was struck with a kidney ailment that required him to walk away from the game immediately.

Mourning was a two-way center whose offense sometimes overshadowed his defensive ability. Mourning averaged 2.8 BPG for his career and even chipped in 0.5 SPG as well. During his 1999 season, Mourning led the league with 3.9 BPG, and in 2000, he led the NBA once again with 3.7 BPG. If Alonzo Mourning had never gotten sick, we may be talking about him as a top-10 defender and center of all time.

Kawhi Leonard – 2 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 2015, 2016

Kawhi Leonard had his coming out party with the San Antonio Spurs in the 2014 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Leonard was awarded his first Finals MVP award for his defensive efforts on James, which ultimately delivered another title to San Antonio. The following 2 seasons were Kawhi’s as far as defense goes, as he would win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016.

In 2015, Kawhi began to transform into the two-way monster at his peak that we all remember him as. He led the league in steals with 2.3 SPG as well as added a career-high 16.5 PPG at the time. The following season was his first All-Star selection, and he average 1.8 SPG and 1.0 BPG as one of the most versatile forwards in basketball. It was Kawhi’s job night in and night out to shut down or slow down an opposing team’s best offensive option. Kawhi answered the call and then some and was rewarded with 2 pieces of hardware.

Dwight Howard – 3 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 2009, 2010, 2011

At his peak with the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard was the most dominant and intimidating interior presence in basketball. He was built like a superhero standing 6’10’’ and a chiseled 265 pounds. Howard was the league’s best shot-blocker and most exciting dunker at the same time. The offense’s entire plan would be centered on bringing the game away from Howard as much as possible in fear of lost possessions due to his defensive awareness.

In 3 straight seasons from 2009 through 2010, Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year award with the Orlando Magic. In 2009, he led the Magic to their first NBA Finals since 1995 and led the league in both blocks and rebounds. He would lead the NBA in both blocks and rebounds the following season as well. In 2011, Howard led the league in neither blocks nor rebounds but still managed to record 14.1 RPG, 1.4 SPG, and 2.4 BPG. It was as clear as day just how dominant he was at his peak, drawing comparisons to Shaq and the other top centers in NBA history.

Rudy Gobert – 3 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 2018, 2019, 2021

The 4-year run of Rudy Gobert as the best defensive player in basketball does not get the amount of credit that it really deserves. Gobert was never much of an offensive threat, despite being able to rock the rim without much of a vertical leap. With Utah, Gobert was enough of a force on the defensive end to lead the Jazz to the playoffs 6 times during his tenure. He was the perfect rim protector and a decent closeout defender on perimeter shots as well. He led the NBA in rebounds twice and averaged over 2.0 BPG in every season with Utah.

Gobert won his first Defensive Player of the Year award in 2018 when he averaged 2.3 BPG and 10.7 RPG as the Jazz won 48 games. He won again the following season, averaging 2.3 BPG once again and 12.9 RPG. After missing out in 2020, Gobert claimed his 3rd award in 4 seasons with 2.7 BPG and 13.5 RPG as the Jazz won 52 games this time. Gobert’s interior defense is somehow still not respected after 3 seasons of being named the NBA’s best defender.

Dikembe Mutombo – 4 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001

Dikembe Mutombo played for 6 different teams in his NBA career, but no matter where he went, he brought the same defensive impact. He was one of the top shot-blockers in NBA history, leading the NBA 3 times in his career. Mutombo’s 4 Defensive Player of the Year Awards came in a 7-season span from 1995 through 2001 with 3 different teams. He won 1 award with the Nuggets in 1995, 2 with the Hawks in 1997 and 1998, and a 4th with the Sixers in 2001.

The first time that Mutombo won the Defensive Player of the Year award was in 1995 with the Nuggets. He led the NBA in blocks that season with 3.9 BPG, and it was the 2nd of 3 straight seasons with the NBA lead. He won back-to-back awards in 1997 and 1998 with Atlanta, where he averaged 3.4 BPG in ‘97 and 3.3 BPG in ‘98. His final win would come in 2001 when he was a part of the only NBA Finals team he was ever on, the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers. That year with the Hawks and Sixers, Mutombo led the NBA in rebounds with 13.5 RPG and added 2.7 BPG.

Ben Wallace – 4 Defensive Player Of The Year Awards

Defensive Player Of The Year Awards: 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006

The Bad Boy Pistons are the first thing you think of when the topic of Detroit basketball and defense is ever brought up. The truth is that the best defender in their team’s history came years later, during the 2000s, in the form of Ben Wallace. He was a physically and mentally exhausting opponent who impose his strength on every opponent who dared to challenge him in the paint. Paired with his incredible athleticism, it was the perfect recipe for some of the best interior defense the NBA had ever seen.

In a 5-year stretch with the Detroit Pistons from 2002 through 2006, Ben Wallace was named the Defensive Player of the Year 4 times. In 2002 and 2003, Wallace led the league in rebounding in both seasons and in blocks in 2002. The 2002 season saw him record 13.0 RPG, 3.5 BPG, and 1.7 SPG. In 2003, he grabbed 15.4 RPG and had 3.2 BPG. In 2004, Wallace’s defense was the anchor for the first Pistons championship since 1990 as he slowed down Shaq in the NBA Finals. In 2005 and 2006, Wallace was named the Defensive Player of the Year once again with Detroit. Over those 2 seasons, Wallace averaged 11.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG, and 2.3 BPG.

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