NBA All-Defensive Teams, Players with the Most First Team Selections

This is the complete list with all the players that have been selected for the All-Defensive first team. Ordered by total 1st team total selections.

Player with the most selections

Kobe Bryant
Kevin Garnett
Michael Jordan
Gary Payton

9 Times selected for the All-Defensive First Team

NBA Honors: All-Defensive Teams

The NBA All-Defensive Teams are selected by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who are asked to vote All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position. Prior to the 2014 season the NBA’s head coaches were the voters and were not permitted to vote for players from their own team.

Two points are awarded to each player for a First Team vote and one point is awarded for a Second Team vote.

Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant were selected for the First Team 9 times each.

More about the All-Defensive Teams:
Year by Year / Players with the most selections / Most selections to the 1st Team

Players with the most selections for the NBA All-Defensive First Team

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  Player All-Defensive
First Team
All-Defensive
Second Team
Total Selections
  Kobe Bryant 9 3 12
  Kevin Garnett 9 3 12
  Michael Jordan 9 - 9
  Gary Payton 9 - 9
  Tim Duncan 8 7 15
  Scottie Pippen 8 2 10
  Bobby Jones 8 1 9
  Chris Paul 7 2 9
  Dennis Rodman 7 1 8
  Walt Frazier 7 - 7
  Dennis Johnson 6 3 9
  Dave DeBusschere 6 - 6
  Rudy Gobert 6 - 6
  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 5 6 11
  Hakeem Olajuwon 5 4 9
  Bruce Bowen 5 3 8
  Michael Cooper 5 3 8
  John Havlicek 5 3 8
  LeBron James 5 1 6
  Ben Wallace 5 1 6
  Player All-Defensive
First Team
All-Defensive
Second Team
Total Selections
  Jason Kidd 4 5 9
  Draymond Green 4 4 8
  David Robinson 4 4 8
  Jerry Sloan 4 2 6
  Giannis Antetokounmpo 4 1 5
  Maurice Cheeks 4 1 5
  Joe Dumars 4 1 5
  Dwight Howard 4 1 5
  Sidney Moncrief 4 1 5
  Jerry West 4 1 5
  Don Buse 4 - 4
  Norm Van Lier 3 5 8
  Kawhi Leonard 3 4 7
  Tony Allen 3 3 6
  Kevin McHale 3 3 6
  Dikembe Mutombo 3 3 6
  Mark Eaton 3 2 5
  Jrue Holiday 3 2 5
  Dan Roundfield 3 2 5
  Karl Malone 3 1 4
  Serge Ibaka 3 - 3
  Marcus Smart 3 - 3
  Player All-Defensive
First Team
All-Defensive
Second Team
Total Selections
  Mookie Blaylock 2 4 6
  Alvin Robertson 2 4 6
  Paul Silas 2 3 5
  Nate Thurmond 2 3 5
  Marcus Camby 2 2 4
  Anthony Davis 2 2 4
  Paul George 2 2 4
  Rajon Rondo 2 2 4
  Buck Williams 2 2 4
  Metta World Peace 2 2 4
  Joakim Noah 2 1 3
  Paul Pressey 2 1 3
  Wilt Chamberlain 2 - 2
  Jaren Jackson Jr. 2 - 2
  Gus Johnson 2 - 2
  Caldwell Jones 2 - 2
  DeAndre Jordan 2 - 2
  Alonzo Mourning 2 - 2
  Micheal Ray Richardson 2 - 2
  Ben Simmons 2 - 2
  Bill Walton 2 - 2
  Player All-Defensive
First Team
All-Defensive
Second Team
Total Selections
  Doug Christie 1 3 4
  Patrick Beverley 1 2 3
  Tyson Chandler 1 2 3
  Dave Cowens 1 2 3
  Andrei Kirilenko 1 2 3
  Larry Nance 1 2 3
  Raja Bell 1 1 2
  Eric Bledsoe 1 1 2
  Avery Bradley 1 1 2
  E.C. Coleman 1 1 2
  Lionel Hollins 1 1 2
  Andre Iguodala 1 1 2
  Brook Lopez 1 1 2
  Maurice Lucas 1 1 2
  Moses Malone 1 1 2
  Rodney McCray 1 1 2
  Charles Oakley 1 1 2
  Tree Rollins 1 1 2
  Mikal Bridges 1 - 1
  Alex Caruso 1 - 1
  Robert Covington 1 - 1
  Bob Dandridge 1 - 1
  Larry Hughes 1 - 1
  Evan Mobley 1 - 1
  Victor Oladipo 1 - 1
  Willis Reed 1 - 1
  Bill Russell 1 - 1
  Gerald Wallace 1 - 1
  Slick Watts 1 - 1
  Player All-Defensive
First Team
All-Defensive
Second Team
Total Selections
  Jimmy Butler - 5 5
  Don Chaney - 5 5
  John Stockton - 5 5
  Bam Adebayo - 4 4
  Quinn Buckner - 4 4
  Horace Grant - 4 4
  Tayshaun Prince - 4 4
  Larry Bird - 3 3
  P.J. Brown - 3 3
  T.R. Dunn - 3 3
  Joel Embiid - 3 3
  Patrick Ewing - 3 3
  Eddie Jones - 3 3
  Bob Love - 3 3
  Shaquille O'Neal - 3 3
  Dwyane Wade - 3 3
  Shane Battier - 2 2
  Chauncey Billups - 2 2
  Jim Brewer - 2 2
  Bill Bridges - 2 2
  Derek Harper - 2 2
  Elvin Hayes - 2 2
  Eddie Johnson - 2 2
  Dan Majerle - 2 2
  Derrick McKey - 2 2
  Nate McMillan - 2 2
  Theo Ratliff - 2 2
  Clifford Robinson - 2 2
  Matisse Thybulle - 2 2
  Kermit Washington - 2 2
  Jamaal Wilkes - 2 2
  OG Anunoby - 1 1
  Andrew Bogut - 1 1
  Manute Bol - 1 1
  Dudley Bradley - 1 1
  Dillon Brooks - 1 1
  Joe Caldwell - 1 1
  M.L. Carr - 1 1
  Jim Cleamons - 1 1
  Mike Conley - 1 1
  Luol Deng - 1 1
  Marc Gasol - 1 1
  Artis Gilmore - 1 1
  A.C. Green - 1 1
  Danny Green - 1 1
  Bob Gross - 1 1
  Bill Hanzlik - 1 1
  Roy Hibbert - 1 1
  Kirk Hinrich - 1 1
  Al Horford - 1 1
  George Johnson - 1 1
  Rudy LaRusso - 1 1
  Fat Lever - 1 1
  Rick Mahorn - 1 1
  Anthony Mason - 1 1
  Paul Millsap - 1 1
  Dejounte Murray - 1 1
  Bobby Phills - 1 1
  Jim Price - 1 1
  Mike Riordan - 1 1
  Andre Roberson - 1 1
  Tom Sanders - 1 1
  Thabo Sefolosha - 1 1
  Lonnie Shelton - 1 1
  Jack Sikma - 1 1
  Josh Smith - 1 1
  Phil Smith - 1 1
  Eric Snow - 1 1
  Latrell Sprewell - 1 1
  John Starks - 1 1
  Brian Taylor - 1 1
  Klay Thompson - 1 1
  Dick Van Arsdale - 1 1
  Anderson Varejao - 1 1
  Danny Vranes - 1 1
  John Wall - 1 1
  Scott Wedman - 1 1
  Derrick White - 1 1
  Hassan Whiteside - 1 1
  Micheal Williams - 1 1
  Robert Williams III - 1 1