NBA players are recognized with a Defensive Player of the Year award for their efforts in the back of the basketball court. It takes more than 100 sports writers and broadcasters to select the best NBA players who can push the ball away from the hoops. Basketball players on the defense can block shots from point guards to prevent the rival team from scoring in the NBA matches.
There are certain criteria involved in choosing the right NBA star for the Defensive Player of the Year award. NBA players must appear in at least 65 games to be considered for the prestigious award. They’ll also have to spend over 20 minutes in a match to be counted. The first Defensive Player of the Year award in NBA history was presented after the 1982-83 season.
Have a look at the NBA players with the most Defensive Player of the Year awards given to them.
Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo has played 18 NBA seasons throughout his career. He was nicknamed as “Mount Mutombo” for his staggering height of 7 feet and 2 inches. Dikembe Mutombo won the Defensive Player of the Year award a record 4 times. Once with Denver Nuggets, twice with Atlanta Hawks, and a final time with the Philadelphia 76ers before he retired.
Mount Mutombo moved to the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to play basketball for his college. In 1991, Dikembe Mutombo was drafted by the NBA to be a part of the Denver Nuggets. He quickly gained momentum as an exceptional shot-blocker for the Denver Nuggets, a NBA team that was particularly weak in defending the rim.
In his rookie years, Dikembe Mutombo would block up to 3 shots per game. He could easily take rebounds from his teammates to increase the score of Denver Nuggets during NBA matches. Dikembe Mutombo would often use his body and expressions to taunt players and celebrate baskets scored.
He won the first Defensive Player of the Year award in 1995 by playing for the Denver Nuggets. At that time, Dikembe Mutombo had an average of 4.5 blocks per game. In the following year, Mount Mutombo signed a 5-year contract with Atlanta Hawks. The seasons between 1996-98 were a blast to watch Dikembe Mutombo play for his team. His blocks gave the Atlanta Hawks an advantage in NBA matches, winning over 50 games each season. Dikembe Mutombo won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice in those 2 years.
He joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001. Dikembe Mutombo turned into a pro at blocking shots and taking rebounds in the 2001-02 season of the NBA. He was able to beat Toronto Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks in a 7-game series.
Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace was an astounding basketball player for the Detroit Pistons. He played 9 seasons with the Detroit Pistons, helping his team make multiple appearances in NBA Finals. Detroit Pistons won the championship title in 2004 due to the blocking ability of Ben Wallace. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award 4 times. His record 4 wins is tied with Dikembe Mutombo for the most Defensive Player of the Year awards won by an NBA player.
He thrived in the Center position for different NBA teams. Ben Wallace is a massive NBA player with a height of 6 feet and 9 inches. He has scored over 10,000 points from rebounds and was close to blocking 2 shots per game with the Detroit Pistons. Ben Wallace earned his first Defensive Player of the Year award in 2002.
Led by Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004 NBA Finals. He displayed amazing skill on the basketball court during the 2004 NBA Finals by scoring 18 points and 22 rebounds. Ben Wallace made it to the cover of the ESPN NBA 2K5 for his blocks. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard was drafted in 2004 by Orlando Magic. He is a 3 time winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award. Dwight Howard led his NBA team, Orlando Magic, to the 2009 NBA Finals. He started a record 82 games for Orlando Magic in his first year in the NBA.
The coach of Orlando Magic, Brian Hill, advised Dwight Howard to work on his defense. It had helped him make progress as a team player on the basketball court. The seasons between 2008-2011 were prime years for Dwight Howard. He was blocking over 4 shots per game in NBA matches. He was the youngest NBA player to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2009. Dwight Howard would earn the award for the following 2 consecutive NBA seasons by defending the nets for Orlando Magic.
He was the first player in NBA history to win the Defensive Player of the Year award 3 consecutive times. Dwight Howard played the Center position for most of his NBA teams. He appeared in more than 600 matches for Orlando Magic.
Dwight Howard was a well-known athlete among his peers and NBA fans. He was featured in various NBA games such as NBA 2K21, NBA Street V3, NBA Jam, and NBA Playgrounds. Dwight Howard also appeared in several episodes of the American reality TV series “The Masked Singer”.