The NBA Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award was introduced in the 1982-83 season. A panel of 124 broadcasters and sportswriters from across the United States and Canada select the best defensive player by casting a vote for first, second and third place. Five points are awarded to the first place vote, the second place vote is worth three points, while only one point is awarded to the third place vote.
The player with the highest number of points total wins the match, irrespective of the number of first-place votes he gets. The trophy is named after two-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner Hakeem Olajuwon. Traditionally, the award is given to big men who are elite at rebounding and shot blocking. Only eight perimeter players have won the DPOY, the defensive player of the year, five of which were awarded in the first six years after the award was started. According to the new agreement, players need to appear in at least 65 games with 20 minutes per game to be eligible for most regular-season awards.
Also Read: List of NBA Rookie of the Year Award Winners
List of all Defensive Player of the Year
Below is the list of all Defensive Player of the Year winners as of May 2025. It also includes the name of the team and their respective count till that year.
| Season | Player with Count | Position | Nationality | Team with Count |
| 1982–83 | Sidney Moncrief | Shooting guard | United States | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1983–84 | Sidney Moncrief (2) | Shooting guard | United States | Milwaukee Bucks (2) |
| 1984–85 | Mark Eaton | Center | United States | Utah Jazz |
| 1985–86 | Alvin Robertson | Shooting guard | United States | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1986–87 | Michael Cooper | Shooting guard | United States | LA Lakers |
| 1987–88 | Michael Jordan | Shooting guard | United States | Chicago Bulls |
| 1988–89 | Mark Eaton (2) | Center | United States | Utah Jazz (2) |
| 1989–90 | Dennis Rodman | Small forward | United States | Detroit Pistons |
| 1990–91 | Dennis Rodman (2) | Small forward | United States | Detroit Pistons (2) |
| 1991–92 | David Robinson | Center | United States | San Antonio Spurs (2) |
| 1992–93 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Center | Nigeria | Houston Rockets |
| 1993–94 | Hakeem Olajuwon (2) | Center | Nigeria | Houston Rockets (2) |
| 1994–95 | Dikembe Mutombo | Center | Zaire | Denver Nuggets |
| 1995–96 | Gary Payton | Point guard | United States | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1996–97 | Dikembe Mutombo (2) | Center | Zaire | Atlanta Hawks |
| 1997–98 | Dikembe Mutombo (3) | Center | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Atlanta Hawks (2) |
| 1998–99 | Alonzo Mourning | Center | United States | Miami Heat |
| 1999–00 | Alonzo Mourning (2) | Center | United States | Miami Heat (2) |
| 2000–01 | Dikembe Mutombo (4) | Center | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2001–02 | Ben Wallace | Center | United States | Detroit Pistons (3) |
| 2002–03 | Ben Wallace (2) | Center | United States | Detroit Pistons (4) |
| 2003–04 | Ron Artest | Small forward | United States | Indiana Pacers |
| 2004–05 | Ben Wallace (3) | Center | United States | Detroit Pistons (5) |
| 2005–06 | Ben Wallace (4) | Center | United States | Detroit Pistons (6) |
| 2006–07 | Marcus Camby | Center | United States | Denver Nuggets (2) |
| 2007–08 | Kevin Garnett | Power forward | United States | Boston Celtics |
| 2008–09 | Dwight Howard | Center | United States | Orlando Magic |
| 2009–10 | Dwight Howard (2) | Center | United States | Orlando Magic (2) |
| 2010–11 | Dwight Howard (3) | Center | United States | Orlando Magic (3) |
| 2011–12 | Tyson Chandler | Center | United States | New York Knicks |
| 2012–13 | Marc Gasol | Center | Spain | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2013–14 | Joakim Noah | Center | France | Chicago Bulls (2) |
| 2014–15 | Kawhi Leonard | Small forward | United States | San Antonio Spurs (3) |
| 2015–16 | Kawhi Leonard (2) | Small forward | United States | San Antonio Spurs (4) |
| 2016–17 | Draymond Green | Power forward | United States | Golden State Warriors |
| 2017–18 | Rudy Gobert | Center | France | Utah Jazz (3) |
| 2018–19 | Rudy Gobert (2) | Center | France | Utah Jazz (4) |
| 2019–20 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Power forward | Greece | Milwaukee Bucks (3) |
| 2020–21 | Rudy Gobert (3) | Center | France | Utah Jazz (5) |
| 2021–22 | Marcus Smart | Point guard | United States | Boston Celtics (2) |
| 2022–23 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | Power forward | United States | Memphis Grizzlies (2) |
| 2023-24 | Rudy Gobert (4) | Center | France | Minnesota Timberwolves (1) |
| 2024-25 | Evan Mobley | Center | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers (1) |
Also Read: List of NBA Most Improved Player Award Winners
Multiple Time DPOY Winners
| Awards | Player | Team | Years |
| 4 | Dikembe Mutombo | Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks (2), Philadelphia 76ers | 1995, 1997, 1998, 2001 |
| Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 | |
| 3 | Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 2018, 2019, 2021 | |
| 2 | Sidney Moncrief | Milwaukee Bucks | 1983, 1984 |
| Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 1985, 1989 | |
| Dennis Rodman | Detroit Pistons | 1990, 1991 | |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 1993, 1994 | |
| Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | 1999, 2000 | |
| Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | 2015, 2016 |
FAQs on Defensive Player of the Year
A. Dikembe Mutombo, Ben Wallace and Rudy Gobert have won four Defensive Player of the Year awards, which is the most by any NBA player in history.
A. Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only two players in NBA history to have won the Most Valuable Player and Defensive Player of the Year award in the same year.
A. Defensive Rating is the number of points a player gives up over 100 possessions. Therefore, the lower the number, the better.
A. Dwight Howard is the youngest player to win Defensive player of the year at 23 years, beating Jaren Jackson Jr. by a few months.
