The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award started back in 1982.

With that in mind, imagine how many DPOYs a player like Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Bill Walton, or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would’ve won had it existed?

It reminds me of how the NFL didn’t keep track of quarterback sack statistics until 1982. Did you know the NFL didn’t even keep track of tackles until 2001? Insane.

Most NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards:

Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace each won the award a record 4 times.

Rudy Gobert, aka The Stifle Tower, and Dwight Howard, aka lover of trannys, won the award 3 times. Howard won all 3 in a row over three consecutive seasons. I completely forgot about this.

Dennis Rodman was two in back to back seasons with the Pistons. Moncrief, Eaton, Hakeem, Zo Mourning, and K Leonard have all won it twice.

I am shocked and amazed The Diesel aka the Big Aristotle Shaquille O’Neal never won it.

Only 8 perimeter players/non-big men have won DOPY:

Sidney Moncrief
Alvin Robertson
Michael Cooper
Michael Jordan
Gary Payton
Ron Artest
Kawhi Leonard
Marcus Smart

Gary Payton is the only point guard to have ever won it. The Glove, suckas!

Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Kevin Garnett and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only winners to have won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) during their careers.

Jordan, Olajuwon and Antetokounmpo won both awards in the same season. Jordan’s season was ridiculous and so was Hakeem, both graduates of the 1984 NBA Draft.

Giannis didn’t deserve it in 2020, the NBA wanted him to be good so bad, they forced us to watch him win. Has any player ever gotten away with more uncalled travels than him?

Here is the year-by-year list of NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award:

Season | Player | Position | Team
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 Los Angeles 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[d] 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[d] 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[f] 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
2021-22 Marcus Smart, Boston Celtics