Since its introduction in the 1982-83 season, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award has honored the top defensive performer each year. It represents the peak of individual achievement for a defender on basketball’s biggest stage, recognizing players who deliver elite performances throughout the regular season.
Every NBA DPOY Winner in History
Below is the full chronological list of every NBA DPOY winner from 1982 to 2024:
1982 — Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks
1983 — Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee Bucks
1984 — Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz
1985 — Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs
1986 — Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Lakers
1987 — Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1988 — Mark Eaton, Utah Jazz
1989 — Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons
1990 — Dennis Rodman, Detroit Pistons
1991 — David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs
1992 — Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
1993 — Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
1994 — Dikembe Mutombo, Denver Nuggets
1995 — Gary Payton, Seattle SuperSonics
1996 — Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta Hawks
1997 — Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta Hawks
1998 — Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
1999 — Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat
2000 — Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia 76ers
2001 — Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
2002 — Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
2003 — Ron Artest, Indiana Pacers
2004 — Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
2005 — Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons
2006 — Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
2007 — Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
2008 — Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
2009 — Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
2010 — Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
2011 — Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks
2012 — Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies
2013 — Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
2014 — Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
2015 — Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
2016 — Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
2017 — Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
2018 — Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
2019 — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
2020 — Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
2021 — Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics
2022 — Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies
2023 — Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves
2024 — Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
One of the most well-known recipients is Michael Jordan. The six-time NBA champion won the award in 1987, before the start of Chicago’s title run, when he averaged 32.5 points, eight rebounds, and 2.9 steals per game. While Jordan only won the award once, he was named to the All-NBA Defensive First Team nine times during his career.
Flashback to Michael Jordan’s 1987-88 campaign as Giannis Antetokounmpo joins he and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to win #KiaMVP and #KiaDPOY in the same season! #NBAVault pic.twitter.com/GmpcswWohm
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) September 18, 2020
Sidney Moncrief of the Milwaukee Bucks won the first DPOY in 1982. He repeated the following season before players like Mark Eaton, Michael Cooper, and Dennis Rodman started to make their mark.
MORE: List of NBA Champions By Year
Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mourning dominated the award in the ’90s, winning seven of the 10 available during that decade. Ben Wallace took over in the 2000s, winning four times from 2001 to 2005. The NBA champion was followed by Dwight Howard, who became the first player to win three straight DPOY honors from 2008 to 2010.
Kawhi Leonard and Rudy Gobert, along with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Evan Mobley, have been among the top defenders of the past decade. Gobert has won a record-tying four DPOY awards. He joins Mutombo and Wallace as the only players to win it four times.
