The 22 Best Defensive Players in NBA History
Defense doesn't look or feel as cool as scoring, especially in the NBA. When kids see a high-flying dunk artist or an exhilarating passer, they want to get on the playground and emulate their favorite stars. The important thing to remember is that no amount of highlight offensive plays can win you games and championships without defensive greatness to back it up.
These are the best defensive players in NBA history, from shot-blocking big men to versatile perimeter defenders.
1. Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon patrolled the paint with an athleticism and strength never seen before or since. Combining shot blocking, the ability to steal the ball, and a switchability during a time when centers weren't required to guard on the perimeter, Olajuwon's defensive presence made him the best player ever on that end of the floor and a two-time champion.
2. Bill Russell
Bill Russell benefited from an era with no three-point line, which means offensive players tended to attack the paint even when they knew Russell would swallow their shots up every time. Even with this caveat, Russell's defense pioneered the importance of the skill in basketball and was the basis for the greatest dynasty in NBA history. His leaping ability and intelligence made him the best shotblocker of all time.
3. Draymond Green
Draymond Green is the most versatile defender in basketball history. Undersized at only 6'6” or so, Green navigates the court with supreme ferocity and IQ, propelling the Golden State Warriors into the top of the defensive rankings every year with basically no other great defenders on his team. He often guards bigs and smalls on defense and serves almost like a free safety in football.
4. Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan famously never won a Defensive Player of the Year award, proving the lack of importance that accolade serves when evaluating talent on the defensive side of the floor. Duncan absolutely shut access to the basket down for two decades with the San Antonio Spurs, often serving as the catalyst of a team that routinely limited opponents to around 70 points per game.
5. Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman is the best rebounder at his size in NBA history, but his defense went beyond cleaning the glass. Rodman introduced a new type of style to that end of the floor in the 1980s and 1990s, initiating a novel speed and quickness that players like Draymond Green would eventually emulate in the present day on defense.
6. Scottie Pippen
Michael Jordan got most of the credit for the Chicago Bulls' success in the 1990s, but Scottie Pippen almost always defended the other team's best player. This allowed Jordan to be at his best on offense and conserve energy. Pippen's length and versatility allowed him to shut down anyone from Larry Bird to Magic Johnson. Forwards like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have a lot of Pippen in their defensive game today.
7. Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan's aggressive defense on the perimeter in the early parts of his career separated him from other offensive-minded guards in NBA history. He's one of the only players under 6'7” to ever win Defensive Player of the Year, and his large hands and trash talk got into his opponents' heads incessantly.
8. Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace absolutely demolished offensive attackers in the paint for the Detroit Pistons during the early 2000s. He fearlessly defended opposing centers such as Shaquille O'Neal even when he was much smaller and had no business putting up such physical resistance. Wallace is one of the only players to win four Defensive Player of the Year awards.
9. Dikembe Mutombo
Dikembe Mutombo's signature finger wag after a blocked shot served as a sign to his peers: enter the paint at your own risk. Mutombo's shot blocking is only rivaled by players like Hakeem Olajuwon and Bill Russell. He also won Defensive Player of the Year four times in his career for teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks.
10. Gary Payton
Gary Payton stifled point guards and shooting guards the second they crossed half-court, making life miserable for others with his big mouth and equally big game. The Seattle SuperSonics benefited greatly from Payton's exploits on defense, and Payton earned one of the best nicknames in basketball: the Glove.
11. Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett's brash attitude and confidence level, in conjunction with his elite jumping and speed, made him the yin to Tim Duncan's yang during the 2000s. Garnett brought a flair to a defense that Duncan didn't possess, making the dirty side of basketball much more fun to watch.
12. Sidney Moncrief
Sidney Moncrief proved that small players could impact a game on defense just as much as forwards and centers could. Moncrief consistently challenged the likes of Isiah Thomas and Magic Johnson in the backcourt, forcing Milwaukee into the title chase against more talented players and teams in the East.
13. Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard started his career as a defensive specialist. With his wingspan, hand size, and calm demeanor, there was no player in the league Leonard couldn't harass and make life hard on him. Leonard focused more on offense as his career went on but remains a force on that end in his current state.
14. Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain towered over attacking players in the 1960s, blocking nearly nine shots per game, according to basketball historians. While Bill Russell used a more measured approach on defense, Wilt wanted to intimidate players and block shots as far into the stands as possible.
15. Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard applied his otherworldly jumping ability to its fullest extent on defense, winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards and blocking shots at a startling clip with the Orlando Magic during the 2000s. His menacing presence helped lead the team to the NBA Finals in 2009.
16. Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones was the backbone of the Philadelphia 76ers during the 1970s and 1980s. He provided the little intangibles that the team needed alongside Julius Erving and Moses Malone. Jones leveraged his 6'9” frame and wingspan to guard players both larger and smaller than him.
17. Walt Frazier
Walt Frazier was one of two point guards in the 1970s that used defense as a true calling card. Frazier headed off the opposing team's best guard at the start of every possession, making life much easier for teammates like Willis Reed to defend the paint for the New York Knicks in the midst of their two title runs.
18. Jerry West
Jerry West didn't have the benefit of All-Defensive accolades early in his career but still was named to four first teams after the introduction of the honor in the late 1960s. West knew what made other offensive players struggle due to his own adept shooting and passing and used this to his advantage against players like Oscar Robertson and the aforementioned Walt Frazier.
19. Dennis Johnson
Dennis Johnson was the glue the Boston Celtics and Seattle SuperSonics needed to win championships in the 1970s and 1980s. One of the bigger guards of his time period, smaller players at his position found it impossible to get around DJ when he patrolled the perimeter.
20. David Robinson
The Admiral gets overlooked in favor of his peers like Hakeem Olajuwon, but he most certainly set a standard for defensive excellence long before Tim Duncan took the baton in the 2000s. Robinson was named to eight All-Defensive teams and won Defensive Player of the Year in 1992.
21. Rudy Gobert
Rudy Gobert's three Defensive Player of the Year awards may be a little excessive when comparing his defensive impact to contemporaries like Draymond Green or Kawhi Leonard. Still, Gobert maintains an elite rim presence in an age that tried to oust the big man from the NBA.
22. Kobe Bryant
Kobe Byrant kept winning All-Defensive honors long after his performance on that end of the floor started to wane. His reputation as a great defender was earned in the first half of his career, though. Kobe's competitive drive allowed him to prevent rivals like Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and others from overtaking him.