NBA All-Defensive Team History
Since 1969 the league has named an All-Defensive First Team — the five best defenders of each season. Here are the career leaders, the names that defined each decade, and how defense actually plays out in the Lock The Lineup simulator.
Career All-Defensive Leaders
| Player | 1st Team | Total | DPOY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kobe Bryant | 9 | 12 | — |
| Michael Jordan | 9 | 9 | 1 |
| Kevin Garnett | 9 | 12 | 1 |
| Gary Payton | 9 | 9 | 1 |
| Tim Duncan | 8 | 15 | — |
| Scottie Pippen | 8 | 10 | — |
| Hakeem Olajuwon | 5 | 9 | 2 |
| Dwight Howard | 5 | 5 | 3 |
| Dennis Rodman | 7 | 8 | 2 |
| Rudy Gobert | 6 | 7 | 4 |
- Kobe Bryant: Tied with Garnett, Duncan, and Payton for most First Team selections. Elite point-of-attack defender from 2000–2011.
- Michael Jordan: Nine straight First Teams from 1988 to 1998 — the most dominant perimeter defender of his era.
- Kevin Garnett: Anchored the Celtics defense that won the 2008 title with one of the best individual D-PORs ever recorded.
- Gary Payton: The only point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year. Nine consecutive First Teams.
- Tim Duncan: Never won DPOY but made 15 total All-Defensive teams — the gold standard for sustained interior defense.
- Scottie Pippen: The most versatile perimeter defender of the 90s. Routinely guarded 1 through 4 in the same possession.
Era by Era
Late 1960s & 1970s
Bill Russell · Walt Frazier · Dave Cowens · Jerry Sloan
The All-Defensive Team began in 1969. Early voting favored guards and centers; perimeter wings were still asked to score first, defend second.
1980s
Bobby Jones · Sidney Moncrief · Dennis Johnson · Hakeem Olajuwon
The decade where wings became defensive stoppers — Bobby Jones made the First Team eight straight years. Centers still dominated DPOY voting.
1990s
Jordan · Pippen · Payton · Rodman · Mutombo
Mutombo and Hakeem traded DPOY trophies while Jordan, Pippen, and Payton redefined what perimeter defense meant. Five DPOYs went to centers this decade.
2000s
Duncan · Garnett · Bryant · Ben Wallace · Bowen
The undersized Ben Wallace won four DPOYs in five years. The Spurs anchored the decade with Duncan and Bowen making 16 combined First Teams.
2010s
Howard · Leonard · Green · Gobert · Antetokounmpo
Switching and rim protection both peaked. Kawhi Leonard's back-to-back DPOYs (2015–16) showed wings could anchor an elite defense.
2020s
Gobert · Antetokounmpo · Smart · Bam · Holmgren
Marcus Smart became the first guard since Payton to win DPOY (2022). Switchable bigs like Bam Adebayo are reshaping how votes are cast.
How defense weighs in the simulator
- Each player carries a defensive rating sourced from peak-season DBPM and defensive win-share data.
- Lineups with at least one elite rim protector and one switchable wing get a small defensive efficiency bonus.
- Positional fit matters: pairing two negative-defense guards costs more than the raw ratings suggest.
- All-Defensive selections are not used directly — but they correlate strongly with the underlying advanced numbers that are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has won the most NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards?
Rudy Gobert, Dikembe Mutombo, and Ben Wallace are tied with four DPOY awards each. Gobert won his four within an eight-year span and is the most recent to do so.
Who has the most All-Defensive First Team selections?
Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, and Gary Payton are tied at nine All-Defensive First Team selections. Tim Duncan has the most total All-Defensive selections with 15.
When did the NBA All-Defensive Team start?
The All-Defensive Team was introduced for the 1968–69 season, and the Defensive Player of the Year award followed in 1982–83.
How does defense affect the Lock The Lineup simulation?
Each player carries a defensive rating sourced from peak-season DBPM and defensive win-share data. Lineups with an elite rim protector plus a switchable wing get a small efficiency bonus, and pairing two negative-defense guards costs more than the raw ratings imply.