Who Has the Most Defensive Players Of The Year Awards? The Best NBA Defenders of All-Time

February 7, 2024

Eleazar Gonzales enumerates the players that won the most number of Defensive Player of the Year awards in their careers.

Since 1983, the NBA has been recognizing each season's best defensive player by giving out the Defensive Player of the Year award- also now known as the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy. And like the MVP award, the selection for the winner of the DPOY rests in the hands of the panel of 124 sportswriters and broadcasters in the United States and Canada.

The player with the most number of votes wins the award- regardless of the number of first-place votes he gets in the voting process. Last season, Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies received 391 votes (including 56 first-place votes) to beat Brook Lopez of the Brooklyn Nets and Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the award.

In this article, we'll discuss the players with the most number of DPOY awards won in their careers. 

Dikembe Mutombo (Four)

Dikembe Mutombo, the league's all-time second-leading shot blocker with 3,289 rejections in his career, won the Defensive Player of the Year award four times in his career- including two times as a member of the Atlanta Hawks.

While he didn't win a championship, Mutombo's resume includes him being an eight-time NBA All-Star, a member of the All-NBA Second Team in 2001, a member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team (three times), and a member of the NBA All-Defensive Second Team (three times). He is also a three-time blocks leader and a two-time rebounding champion. 

His jersey number 55, is retired by the Hawks and the Denver Nuggets.

Ben Wallace (Four)

Ben Wallace may have never averaged more than 5.7 points per game in his career but he is more known as one of the greatest defensive players in the game and that's why he is tied with Dikembe Mutombo for most DPOY awards (four)- all won as a member of the Detroit Pistons.

The one-time NBA champion is a four-time All-Star, a five-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and a back-to-back rebounding champion from 2002 to 2003. Wallace also led the lead in blocks per game in 2002. 

Dwight Howard (Three)

Today's scorers wouldn't be able to slash their way in the shaded area had they played during the three consecutive seasons Dwight Howard won the Defensive Player of the Year award from 2009 to 2011 with the Orlando Magic. 

And to this day, Howard remains the only player to ever win the award for three straight seasons. 

Aside from being a four-time DPOY and a one-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, Howard, known as Superman to fans, is also an eight-time All-Star, a five-time member of the All-NBA First Team, a four-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, and a five-time rebounding champion.

Howard also led the league in blocks twice. He finished his NBA career with averages of 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game.

Rudy Gobert (Three)

While Rudy Gobert didn't win a ring during his stint with the Utah Jazz, he won three DPOYs including two consecutive times in 2018 to 2019. If not for Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, who won the award in the pandemic-shortened 2019-2020 season, Gobert would have joined Dwight Howard as the other player to win three straight Defensive Player of the Year trophies.

Gobert, a star player of the Fench national team, is a three-time All-Star, a six-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and led the league in rebounds during the 2021-2022 season and blocks during the 2016-207 season. 

Sidney Moncrief (Two)

Sidney Moncrief owns the distinction of taking home the first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award in 1983 before winning another one in 1984 as a player of the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Moncrief is a five-time All-Star, a one-time member of the All-NBA First Team, and a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team. 

Moncrief is one of the eight non-bigs to ever win the award.

Mark Eaton (Two)

Mark Eaton spent his entire NBA career playing for the Utah Jazz where he won two Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1985 and 1989. 

He led the NBA in blocks four times while being named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team thrice. He was a one-time All-Star who saw his number 53 retired by Utah. 

Eaton finished his NBA career averaging 3.5 blocks per game- fourth-highest in the all-time list.

Dennis Rodman (Two)

Dennis Rodman may have been better known as one of the best rebounders during his stint with the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen but before that, he was one of the Detroit Pistons' Bad Boys, who made life difficult for Jordan himself.

Rodman, a five-time NBA champion upon the climax of his career, is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year awardee for the Pistons and is a seven-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team on top of being a seven-time rebounding champion. 

Hakeem Olajuwon (Two)

The Dream is a two-time winner of the award named after him. Hakeem Olajuwon won the last one of his career in 1994- the year he also won the first of two NBA titles with the Houston Rockets along with his lone MVP award. 

Olajuwon is a 12-time All-Star and a five-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He led the league in rebounds twice and blocks thrice.

Alonzo Mourning (Two)

He may have won one NBA championship in his career with the Miami Heat but Alonzo Mourning's name has been associated with his defense during his Miami stint.

He won the DPOY award twice in his career and is a two-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team. He is a two-time blocks champion on top of him being a seven-time All-Star.

Zo's jersey number (33) has been retired by the Heat. 

Kawhi Leonard (Two)

There was a time when LeBron James, then playing for the Miami Heat, shook his head upon seeing Kawhi Leonard, then playing for the San Antonio Spurs, checking back into the game: Kawhi Leonard is a defensive beast and to this day, he still is.

Leonard, who won a championship with the Spurs in 2014, won the DPOY award in 2015 and 2016. He added another championship to his resume in 2019 as a member of the Toronto Raptors. 

The Klaw is a six-time All-Star, a three-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team, and led the league in steals during the 2014-2015 season.

One-Time DPOYs

Jaren Jackson Jr. joined the list of players who won the DPOY award- at least once in their careers. 

The list also includes current players Marcus Smart, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Draymond Green as well as former players Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Tyson Chandler, Ron Artest, Marcus Camby, Kevin Garnett, Gary Payton, David Robinson, Michael Jordan, Alvin Robertson, and Michael Cooper.

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