# Who is the greatest NBA defensive player of all time?

> Shot-blockers, on-ball lockdowns, and versatile stoppers across six decades of basketball — legends who made defense an art form. Cast your vote!

*By YPB Team · Published April 21, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-greatest-nba-defensive-player-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Bill Russell**
   The Boston Celtics center who won 11 NBA championships and is widely regarded as the greatest winner and defensive anchor in league history.
2. **Dikembe Mutombo**
   The 7-foot-2 Congolese center who won four NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and finished second all-time in career blocked shots.
3. **Scottie Pippen**
   The Chicago Bulls forward selected to 10 All-Defensive Teams who was arguably the greatest perimeter defender in NBA history alongside Michael Jordan.
4. **Michael Jordan**
   The six-time NBA champion who uniquely won the Defensive Player of the Year award in the same season he won the scoring title, a 9-time All-Defensive first-team selection.
5. **Hakeem Olajuwon**
   The Houston Rockets center whose trophy is now named after him, a 1994 Defensive Player of the Year and two-time champion known for his legendary footwork and shot-blocking.
6. **Ben Wallace**
   The undrafted center who defied his lack of size to win four Defensive Player of the Year awards and successfully contained dominant big men throughout his career.
7. **Dwight Howard**
   The dominant center who won three consecutive Defensive Player of the Year awards (2009-2011) and was among the most physically imposing shot-blockers in the modern era.
8. **Kevin Garnett**
   The intense power forward who won the 2008 DPOY and was named to 12 All-Defensive Teams, transforming defensive culture wherever he played.
9. **Kawhi Leonard**
   The wing who won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016, combining elite perimeter lockdown ability with offensive star power.
10. **Rudy Gobert**
   The French center who matched Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace with four DPOY trophies, redefining rim protection and defensive scheme impact in the modern NBA.
11. **Kareem Abdul-Jabbar**
   The all-time leading scorer who was equally dominant on defense, leading the league in blocks four times and earning 11 All-Defensive Team selections across his career.
12. **Sidney Moncrief**
   The Milwaukee Bucks guard who was one of the first two winners of the DPOY award (1983 and 1984) and set the template for elite perimeter defense.
13. **David Robinson**
   The San Antonio Spurs center who won the 1992 DPOY award and was the anchor of a Spurs defense that helped him earn two NBA championships.

Tags: sports, basketball, players, nba