- Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ben Wallace have the most DPOY awards, with four each.
- Dwight Howard has the second most DPOY awards with three.
- Three players in NBA history have won the DPOY and MVP award in the same season.
The odds for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award are available at BetMGM’s online sportsbook and basketball lines for other prestigious individual awards, conference winners, and outright NBA champions.
Find out which players have won the most DPOY awards, led by Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ben Wallace, and learn who the three players are that won DPOY and MVP awards in the same season.
Who Has the Most Defensive Player of the Year Awards in the NBA?
| Player | Number of DPOY Awards |
|---|---|
| Rudy Gobert | 4 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | 4 |
| Ben Wallace | 4 |
| Dwight Howard | 3 |
| Mark Eaton | 2 |
| Kawhi Leonard | 2 |
| Alonzo Mourning | 2 |
| Dennis Rodman | 2 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | 2 |
| Sidney Moncrief | 2 |
How Many NBA Players Have 4 DPOY?
Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ben Wallace have won the Defensive Player of the Year award four times, the most in NBA history.
Mutombo won the award playing for three teams: the Denver Nuggets (1995), Atlanta Hawks (1997 and 1998), and Philadelphia 76ers (2001). Gobert bagged the trophy with two teams: the Utah Jazz (2018, 2019, and 2021) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2024).
Meanwhile, Ben Wallace is the only player to win four DPOY awards with one team when he was with the Detroit Pistons in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. During these campaigns, “Big Ben” averaged double-digit rebounding and over two blocks per game each season.
Has Anyone Ever Won MVP and DPOY in the Same Season?
Only three players in NBA history have won the Defensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable awards in the same season: Micheal Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Jordan won the awards in 1988 with an average of 35 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.2 steals, and 1.6 blocks. Olajuwon did it in 1994 with 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 3.7 blocks. Antetokounmpo achieved the feat in 2020 with 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, one steal, and one block per game.
List of NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award Winners
| Name | Team | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | 2024 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | Memphis Grizzlies | 2023 |
| Marcus Smart | Boston Celtics | 2022 |
| Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 2021 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 2020 |
| Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 2019 |
| Rudy Gobert | Utah Jazz | 2018 |
| Draymond Green | Golden State Warriors | 2017 |
| Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | 2016 |
| Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs | 2015 |
| Joakim Noah | Chicago Bulls | 2014 |
| Marc Gasol | Memphis Grizzlies | 2013 |
| Tyson Chandler | New York Knicks | 2012 |
| Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 2011 |
| Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 2010 |
| Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | 2009 |
| Kevin Garnett | Boston Celtics | 2008 |
| Marcus Camby | Denver Nuggets | 2007 |
| Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 2006 |
| Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 2005 |
| Metta World Peace | Indiana Pacers | 2004 |
| Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 2003 |
| Ben Wallace | Detroit Pistons | 2002 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | Philadelphia 76ers | 2001 |
| Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | 2000 |
| Alonzo Mourning | Miami Heat | 1999 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | Atlanta Hawks | 1998 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | Atlanta Hawks | 1997 |
| Gary Payton | Seattle SuperSonics | 1996 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | Denver Nuggets | 1995 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 1994 |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | 1993 |
| David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | 1992 |
| Dennis Rodman | Detroit Pistons | 1991 |
| Dennis Rodman | Detroit Pistons | 1990 |
| Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 1989 |
| Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 1988 |
| Michael Cooper | Los Angeles Lakers | 1987 |
| Alvin Robertson | San Antonio Spurs | 1986 |
| Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 1985 |
| Sidney Moncrief | Milwaukee Bucks | 1984 |
| Sidney Moncrief | Milwaukee Bucks | 1983 |
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