Who Has the Most DPOY Awards in NBA History?

We take a look at who has won the most Defensive Player of the Year awards in NBA history.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a dominant force on both ends of the court and led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships. Jordan was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist and won the NBA MVP award five times. In addition to all of his individual accomplishments, Jordan was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year a record-tying four times.

6-time NBA champion

Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a dominant offensive player who could also excel on defense when needed. In fact, he is one of only four players in NBA history to win the Defensive Player of the Year Award (DPOY) more than once.

Jordan won the DPOY Award in 1987-88 and 1988-89, becoming the first player to ever win back-to-back DPOYs. He would go on to win it again in 1991-92, 1992-93, 1995-96, and 1997-98. With six DPOY Awards, Jordan ranks ahead of second-place finishers Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace, who both have four awards.

It is worth noting that Jordan also holds the record for most All-Defensive First Team selections in NBA history with nine. In total, he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team or Second Team 10 times in his career.

5-time NBA MVP

Michael Jordan is widely considered to be the greatest basketball player of all time. He was a five-time NBA MVP and a six-time NBA champion. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year Award a record five times.

10-time NBA All-Star

Michael Jordan was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was a 10-time NBA All-Star and won six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was also named the NBA MVP five times and the Defensive Player of the Year three times.

Hakeem Olajuwon

Hakeem Olajuwon is a former professional basketball player who was born in Nigeria and later moved to the United States. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Olajuwon was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the only player in NBA history to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP Award in the same season.

2-time NBA champion

Hakeem Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, in 1963. He is nicknamed “The Dream” for his athleticism and shot-blocking ability. Olajuwon played for the University of Houston from 1981 to 1984 and was drafted first overall by the Houston Rockets in the 1984 NBA draft. He went on to play 18 seasons in the NBA, winning two NBA championships with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995. He was a 12-time NBA All-Star and was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) a record three times. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

2-time NBA MVP

Hakeem Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. He was selected as the first overall pick in the 1984 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, and went on to become one of the league’s most dominant centers. Olajuwon is a 12-time NBA All-Star and a 2-time NBA MVP. He led the Houston Rockets to back-to-back NBA championships in 1994 and 1995, and is one of only two players in NBA history to have won an MVP award, Defensive Player of the Year award, and Finals MVP award in the same season (1994). In 2008, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Olajuwon was nicknamed “The Dream” during his basketball career after a local reporter named him that for his “explosiveness” under the basket. He is considered one of the greatest centers ever to play the game. He was inducted into the FiHoops Hall of Fame in 2016.

9-time NBA All-Star

Hakeem Olajuwon is a retired Nigerian-American professional basketball player. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria on January 21, 1963. He is nicknamed “The Dream” due to his exceptional basketball skills. He is one of only four players in NBA history to have won the Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year Award, and Finals MVP Award in the same season, which he accomplished with the Houston Rockets in 1994.

Olajuwon played professionally for 18 seasons with the Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors. He was a 9-time NBA All-Star and won two NBA championships with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995. He was named the NBA Finals MVP in both years. Olajuwon was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

With three DPOY awards, Olajuwon holds the record for most in NBA history.

Bill Russell

Bill Russell has the most Defensive Player of the Year awards in NBA history with five. He is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. Russell was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA championships during his thirteen-year career.

11-time NBA champion

Russell played center for the Boston Celtics from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a twelve-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA championships during his thirteen-year career. Russell and Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league. Russell led the University of San Francisco to two collegiate championships in 1955 and 1956, and he was selected as theCollier’s Senior Rookie of the Year in 1956. He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team.

Russell is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was listed as between 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m), and his shot blocking and man-to-man defense were major reasons for Boston’s success during his career. Russell led Boston to 11 NBA titles, including eight straight from 1959 to 1966; this remains the longest streak of consecutive wins in NBA history. He is neck-and-neck with Wilt Chamberlain for number of DPOY awards (11), but Bill holds two other records: being selected for more All Star teams (12) and winning more MVP awards (5).

5-time NBA MVP

Bill Russell is a retired American professional basketball player who played center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most Valuable Player and a twelve-time All-Star, he was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA championships during his thirteen-year career. Russell and Henri Richard of the National Hockey League are tied for the record of the most championships won by an athlete in a North American sports league.

Before his professional career, Russell led the University of San Francisco to two consecutive NCAA championships. He also won a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics as captain of the U.S. national basketball team. Russell is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time and was one of four athletes to be inducted into both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974. He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007. In Russell’s honor, Silver Spring, Maryland’s Portrait Park was renamed “Bill Russell Park”.

12-time NBA All-Star

During hisplaying career, Bill Russell was a 12-time NBA All-Star, appeared in 21 NBA Finals games (missing only two due to injury), and was named an All-Star MVP in 1963. He also led the United States men’s national basketball team to a gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics. In NBA history, Russell ranks second behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in total rebounds and blocks, and is one of only seven players who have won an NBA championship as a player and coach.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. NBA coach Pat Riley and players Isiah Thomas and Julius Erving have called him the greatest basketball player of all time.

6-time NBA champion

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, having scored 38,387 points. Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a five-time NBA champion, a 19-time NBA All-Star, and a 10-time member of the All-NBA first team. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, he is one of only three players to win an NCAA title, an NBA title, and an Olympic gold medal. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995253] and to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.

In April 2016, he was named by President Barack Obama as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—for his contributions to sports and social activism.

6-time NBA MVP

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. NBA coach Pat Riley and players Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson have called him the greatest basketball player of all time.

19-time NBA All-Star

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. on April 16, 1947 in New York City, New York. The 7’2” center played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers during his legendary 20-year NBA career. He is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points and is a 19-time NBA All-Star. Abdul-Jabbar also won six NBA championships, six NBA MVP Awards, and five NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995.