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NBA’s 20 Best Defenders: The Players Who Stopped Their Opponents

In the NBA, defence is an art form. It is a fast-paced, high-scoring league, but there are a few individuals who have the special ability to limit their opponents and hinder their potential to score.

These defenders have dominated the floor with their persistent effort, blocking lanes, blocking shots, and frustrating the most productive scorers. They are the epitome of defensive greatness, impeding opponents and disrupting offensive plans with their physical prowess, speed, and agility.

These elite defenders have achieved great success in their careers, earning numerous awards and accolades. They have also been instrumental in helping their teams win games, thanks to their tireless work ethic and dedication to defence.

While they may not always receive the same level of attention as their high-scoring counterparts, their impact on the game is undeniable. Let’s take a look at the top 20 defenders in NBA history, and explore their exceptional skills and defensive brilliance.

1. Michael Jordan

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Michael Jordan is without a doubt the best NBA basketball player of all time, even though several very brilliant players came before him on this list. He won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, and he was awarded Finals MVP in each of those unforgettable victories.

Jordan returned from baseball after retirement and won his second three titles. He was also named league MVP five times. Jordan appeared in 14 All-Star games, receiving MVP honours in three of them.

He was named to ten NBA First Team All-Star squads. He was named NBA All-Defensive First Team nine times and was awarded defensive player of the Year in 1988.

Related: NBA’s 15 Greatest Scorers: The Players Who Put Up the Numbers

2. Kevin Garnett

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KG cements his spot as one of the best big men in basketball history because of his exceptional talent as a scorer, rebounder, passer, and defender. During his 13-year career, he averaged 20.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game.

He has demonstrated excellent efficiency with a 49.4 per cent field goal percentage and a 78.1 per cent free throw percentage. KG’s significance is further underscored by his participation in 11 All-Star Games, one of which he was voted MVP. 

He has also been chosen to the All-NBA team nine times, including four times on the first team. He is among the top-tier big men in terms of defensive skills, having been named to nine All-NBA Defensive teams, including seven on the first team.

KG was also selected Defensive Player of the Year for the 2007-2008 season, highlighting his exceptional defensive talents. He was named MVP of the 2003-2004 season at the age of 32, and he was instrumental in the Boston Celtics’ championship triumph in 2007-2008.

3. Dikembe Mutombo

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Dikembe Mutombo is a Congolese-American basketball player who was a standout defender in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was also known for his charitable work.

The 7-foot-2, 260-pound centre is widely regarded as one of the best shot blocks and defensive players in NBA history, having won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times. In the 1990s, he established himself as a force to be reckoned with.

4. Tim Duncan

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Tim Duncan was a one-of-a-kind, low-maintenance superstar who left an indelible mark on his squad throughout his career. Duncan, one of the all-time great big men, excelled on offence, defence, and clutch play. He has averaged 21.6 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.4 blocks, and 0.8 steals in his career.

His career field goal and free throw percentages are also 50.8 and 68.4, respectively. Ten All-Star teams have chosen him, and he earned the All-Star Game MVP title in 2000.

Duncan has also been named to the All-NBA squad 11 times, nine as a first-team member. He was also named to the All-NBA Defensive Team nine times, including seven times on the first team. 

5. Gary Payton

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Gary Payton is a former professional basketball point guard from the United States. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time, best known for his 13-year stint with the Seattle SuperSonics, during which he set team assist and steal records.

He also spent time with the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, and the Miami Heat. Payton and the Miami Heat won the NBA title in 2006. He was the 1996 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He is also a 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team member.

6. Ben Wallace

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Ben Wallace is a former professional basketball player who is now an executive. He played most of his career in the NBA with the Detroit Pistons. He is considered one of the greatest undrafted players in NBA history because of his shot-blocking, rebounding, and overall defensive play.

He won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times, which is a record he shares with Dikembe Mutombo.

Wallace played for the Pistons for nine seasons (2000-2006, 2009-2012). During that time, he made two NBA Finals appearances (2004 and 2005) and won a championship with the team in 2004. The Pistons retired his jersey number 3 in 2016.

Read More: NBA’s Unsung MVPs: 20 Players Who Deserve More Recognition

7. Kawhi Leonard

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Kawhi Anthony Leonard is an American basketball player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association. He has carved quite a name for himself in the NBA, having won two titles.

Leonard has five All-Star appearances and five All-NBA Team selections, including three First-Team selections. He was given the nicknames “Claw” and “Klaw” for his exceptional ball-hawking talents and extremely large hands.

Leonard’s defensive prowess is further evidenced by his seven All-Defensive Team selections and two straight Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2015 and 2016.

8. Tony Allen

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Anthony Allen is a retired professional basketball player from the United States who spent 14 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Memphis Grizzlies. He has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team six times, including three times as a member of the All-Defensive First Team. Allen won an NBA championship in 2008 with the Boston Celtics. During his career, he was regarded as one of the league’s greatest defenders.

9. Bill Russell

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Russell was the finest defensive centre of all time, the lynchpin of a tough Celtic defence, and he would have undoubtedly led the league in lifetime blocks per game if defensive metrics had been kept during his era.

Russell averaged 15.1 points, 22.5 rebounds, and 4.3 assists throughout his 13-year career, despite converting only 56.1 per cent of his free throw attempts and shooting 44 per cent from the field overall.

Russell was also named to the All-Star squad 12 times and was named MVP of the 1963 All-Star game. Russell was chosen to the All-NBA squad 11 times, including three times as a first-team pick. Russell is tied for second all-time with five MVP awards earned throughout his career.

He is regarded by many as the greatest team sports champion. He had a 13-year career during which he won 11 championships and, except for one season, always led his team to the championship game. He was selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969).

10. Dwight Howard

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Dwight Howard is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League. After eight seasons in Orlando, Howard was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012, where he served three separate year periods before winning the NBA title in 2020.

He has been an eight-time All-Star, an eight-time All-NBA Team member, a five-time All-Defensive Team member, and the Defensive Player of the Year three times.

11. Dennis Rodman

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Dennis Rodman is a retired American professional basketball player. According to his profile on the official NBA website, he is “arguably the best rebounding forward in NBA history.” He is well-known for his strong defensive and rebounding abilities.

He played for the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. Rodman started his career as a small forward before moving up to power forward.

He was chosen to the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times, and he was twice awarded Defensive Player of the Year. He also set a record by leading the NBA in rebounds per game for seven consecutive years, and he won five NBA championships.

12. Chris Paul

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Chris Paul is an American professional basketball player for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association. Paul is widely recognized as one of the best point guards of all time, having won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award, the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, two Olympic gold medals, and leading the NBA in assists and steals a record six times.

He’s also made twelve NBA All-Star teams, eleven All-NBA teams, and nine NBA All-Defensive teams.

13. Hakeem Olajuwon

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Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, the league’s leading shot blocker with 3,830 blocks, was more than just a big man near the basket. He also ranks among the top 14 in points (26,946), rebounds (13,748), and steals (2,162).

He demonstrated his brilliance in big-game situations by winning two NBA titles and two Finals MVP awards. His biography also includes six All-NBA First Team honours, 12 All-Stars, two Defensive Player of the Year titles, and five All-Defensive 1st Team accolades. In 1993-94, he became the first non-American to earn Defensive Player of the Year.

14. Draymond Green

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Draymond Green is an American professional basketball player for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. Green is a four-time NBA champion, four-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-NBA Team member, and two-time Olympic gold winner who mostly plays power forward.

He is widely regarded as one of the league’s best defensive players. He was named to the All-Defensive Team eight times, was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017, and led the league in steals. In his career, he was a three-time runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

15. John Havlicek

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American professional basketball player John Havlicek spent his whole career with the NBA Boston Celtics, where he won eight NBA championships in sixteen seasons. He is one of just four players in NBA history to have won eight championships, and Havlicek is one of three with an unblemished 8-0 record in NBA Finals.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984 and is widely recognized as one of the sport’s greatest players. He is the Celtics’ all-time leading scorer with 26,395 points and 1,270 games played. He averaged 28.9 points per game, with the 1970-71 season being his greatest scoring season. 

16. Walt Frazier

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Walt Frazier is a retired NBA professional basketball player from the United States. He led the New York Knicks to their only two titles (1970 and 1973) as their floor general and premier perimeter defender, and he was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. His defensive skill is evident, as he was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team seven times.

17. Jason Kidd

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Jason Kidd, the current NBA head coach of the Dallas Mavericks, was a professional basketball player for many years before retiring. Kidd was a ten-time NBA All-Star, a member of the NBA All-Defensive Team nine times, and a member of the All-NBA First Team five times. He is recognized as one of the league’s best point guards and passers.

In 2011, he won the NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks. He earned two gold Olympic medals while participating in the American national team in 2000 and 2008. Kidd was a member of the inaugural squad inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

18. Rudy Gobert

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Rudy Gobert of France is a centre for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA. In international competitions, he represents France. He is well-known for being one of the top rim protectors in the NBA. Gobert is tied for third-most in NBA history in terms of Defensive Player of the Year awards.

He was named to the All-NBA squad four times, the All-Defensive First Team six times, and the NBA All-Star squad three times. Furthermore, throughout the 2016-17 and 2021-22 seasons, Gobert topped the NBA in both blocks and rebounds. In 2017, Gobert was named to the All-NBA Second Team, and in 2019, 2020, and 2021, he was named to the All-NBA Third Team.

19. Giannis Antetokounmpo

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Giannis Antetokounmpo’s incredible journey from a semi-pro league to the NBA draft’s 15th overall choice had already brought two leagues MVP accolades and a championship ring by the time he was 27.

If we reassessed Antetokounmpo’s accomplishments over the next decade, he would almost probably be among the best players ever. Despite his lack of outside shooting skills, the Greek forward commands the floor with his incredible wingspan, athleticism, unwavering work ethic, and boundless enthusiasm. In 2020, he was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year. 

20. Anthony Davis

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Anthony Davis is a professional basketball player with the National Basketball Association’s Los Angeles Lakers. He is both a power forward and a centre. During his NBA career, Davis has been named to four All-NBA First Teams and four NBA All-Defensive Teams. In his first season with the Lakers, he won the NBA Finals in 2020. In 2021, he was chosen to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

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