NBA Awards: Defensive Player of the Year, Full List of Winners
This is the complete list of NBA players that won the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
Current Defensive Player:
Rudy Gobert
2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year NBA Awards: Defensive Player of the YearEvery year since the 1982-83 season the best NBA defender is selected by a national panel of pro basketball writers and broadcasters and the winner receives the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Draymond Green won the 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year becoming only the fifth player to win this award and the Championship in the same year. The list if full of big names like Dennis Rodman, Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan. |
= NBA Champion that same year
NBA Awards: Defensive Player of the Year, full list of winners
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Season |
Player |
Team |
Rebounds |
Steals | Blocks | |
| 2023-24 | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | 12.9 | 0.7 | 2.1 | |
| 2022-23 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | 6.8 | 1.0 | 3.0 | |
| 2021-22 | Marcus Smart | Boston Celtics | 3.8 | 1.7 | 0.3 | |
| 2020-21 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 13.5 | 0.6 | 2.7 | |
| 2019-20 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 13.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | |
| 2018-19 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 12.9 | 0.8 | 2.3 | |
| 2017-18 | Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 10.7 | 0.8 | 2.3 | |
| 2016-17 | Draymond Green | |
Golden State Warriors | 7.9 | 2.0 | 1.4 |
| 2015-16 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | 6.8 | 1.8 | 1.0 | |
| 2014-15 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | 7.2 | 2.3 | 0.8 | |
| 2013-14 | Joakim Noah | Chicago Bulls | 11.3 | 1.2 | 1.5 | |
| 2012-13 | Marc Gasol | Memphis Grizzlies | 7.8 | 1.0 | 1.7 | |
| 2011-12 | Tyson Chandler | New York Knicks | 9.9 | 0.9 | 1.4 | |
| 2010-11 | Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 14.1 | 1.4 | 2.4 | |
| 2009-10 | Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 13.2 | 0.9 | 2.8 |
Season |
Player |
Team |
Rebounds |
Steals | Blocks | |
| 2008-09 | Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 13.8 | 1.0 | 2.9 | |
| 2007-08 | Kevin Garnett | |
Boston Celtics | 9.2 | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| 2006-07 | Marcus Camby | Denver Nuggets | 11.7 | 1.2 | 3.3 | |
| 2005-06 | Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 11.3 | 1.8 | 2.2 | |
| 2004-05 | Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 12.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | |
| 2003-04 | Metta World Peace (1) | Indiana Pacers | 5.3 | 2.1 | 0.7 | |
| 2002-03 | Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 15.4 | 1.4 | 3.2 | |
| 2001-02 | Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 13.0 | 1.7 | 3.5 | |
| 2000-01 | Dikembe Mutombo | Atlanta Hawks / Philadelphia 76ers | 13.5 | 0.4 | 2.7 | |
| 1999-00 | Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | 9.5 | 0.5 | 3.7 | |
| 1998-99 | Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | 11.0 | 0.7 | 3.9 | |
| 1997-98 | Dikembe Mutombo | Atlanta Hawks | 11.4 | 0.4 | 3.4 | |
| 1996-97 | Dikembe Mutombo | Atlanta Hawks | 11.6 | 0.6 | 3.3 | |
| 1995-96 | Gary Payton | Seattle Supersonics | 4.2 | 2.9 | 0.2 | |
| 1994-95 | Dikembe Mutombo | Denver Nuggets | 12.5 | 0.5 | 3.9 | |
| 1993-94 | Hakeem Olajuwon | |
Houston Rockets | 11.9 | 1.6 | 3.7 |
| 1992-93 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 13.0 | 1.8 | 4.2 |
Season |
Player |
Team |
Rebounds |
Steals | Blocks | |
| 1991-92 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 12.2 | 2.3 | 4.5 | |
| 1990-91 | Dennis Rodman | Detroit Pistons | 12.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | |
| 1989-90 | Dennis Rodman | |
Detroit Pistons | 9.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| 1988-89 | Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 10.3 | 0.5 | 3.8 | |
| 1987-88 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 5.5 | 3.2 | 1.6 | |
| 1986-87 | Michael Cooper | |
Los Angeles Lakers | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 |
| 1985-86 | Alvin Robertson | San Antonio Spurs | 6.3 | 3.7 | 0.5 | |
| 1984-85 | Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 11.3 | 0.4 | 5.6 | |
| 1983-84 | Sidney Moncrief | Milwaukee Bucks | 6.7 | 1.4 | 0.3 | |
| 1982-83 | Sidney Moncrief | Milwaukee Bucks | 5.8 | 1.5 | 0.3 |
(1) When he won the award his name was Ron Artest. He changed it to Metta World Peace after the 2010-11 season.