{"id":22299,"date":"2023-02-22T20:55:47","date_gmt":"2023-02-22T09:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/?p=22299"},"modified":"2023-02-22T21:16:10","modified_gmt":"2023-02-22T10:16:10","slug":"best-defenders-in-nba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/best-defenders-in-nba\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Best Defenders in NBA History: 2023 Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who are the best defenders in NBA history? We&#8217;ve seen some dominant players lock down their opponents and influence the way the game is played.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Best Defenders in NBA History:<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These players dominated on the defense end and was often the difference between their team winning and losing. Let&#8217;s take a look at the 10 best defenders in NBA history.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">10. Ben Wallace<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ben Wallace is one of the best defenders in NBA history despite being undersized for a center at 6-foot-9. Despite Wallace having monstrous muscle mass, he was extremely athletic, had a worth ethic to match and had one of the greatest defensive IQs ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wallace is tied with Dikembe Mutombo for most Defensive Player of the Year awards with four. Although Mutombo was better offensively and at blocking shots, Wallace was a better overall defender.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Teams that were built around Wallace\u2019s defense were more effective. Mutombo never won an NBA championship. Wallace did, in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons, and he was selected to six All-Defensive Teams.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">BEN WALLACE (my favorite Piston of all time):<br \/>\n&#8211; Undrafted<br \/>\n&#8211; 5x All NBA<br \/>\n&#8211; 6x All Defense<br \/>\n&#8211; 4x All Star (only undrafted player to start)<br \/>\n&#8211; 4x DPOTY (B2B twice)<br \/>\n&#8211; 2x NBA rebound leader<br \/>\n&#8211; 1x NBA block leader (shortest ever)<br \/>\n&#8211; NBA Champion<\/p>\n<p>RTs appreciated as always \ud83d\ude4f<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FearTheFro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@FearTheFro<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/cJm2GHOkmt\">pic.twitter.com\/cJm2GHOkmt<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 CC Productions \ud83c\udfa5 #WembyWatch \ud83d\udc40 (@carlcollinsprod) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/carlcollinsprod\/status\/1572950346145701889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 22, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">9. Kevin Garnett<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Selected on 12 NBA All-Defensive Teams, Garnett was extremely versatile. One of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/best-power-forwards-of-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">best power forwards of all time<\/a>, he could also defensively lock down centers and even guards on the perimeter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Physically imposing, Garnett was lightning quick at blocking shots and switching on the pick-and-roll. Despite his 6-foot-11 frame, he was extremely agile, often staying in front of wing players and using his 7-foot-5 wingspan to disrupt shots and passing lanes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Garnett has had some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/biggest-nba-trade-rumors-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">biggest NBA trade rumors<\/a>\u00a0during his career. Rumors of moves to Phoenix and Los Angeles failed to materialize. A move to Boston in 2007 did eventuate and he won an NBA championship in 2008 with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Kevin Garnett&#8217;s impact on defense. \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udd12\ud83c\udf40 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rU0LtWvaBa\">pic.twitter.com\/rU0LtWvaBa<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA SKITS (@NBA_Skits) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA_Skits\/status\/903635809894531073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 1, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">8. Michael Jordan<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Michael Jordan is the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/best-nba-players-of-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best NBA player of all time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and during his prime was one of the best wing defenders we\u2019ve ever seen. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 1988 and was a 9-time All-Defensive Team selection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jordan had a rare combination of speed, strength and agility which he didn\u2019t only use on offense. He used his abilities in his defensive game which is highly underrated and is not far off the level of his offensive ability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He frustrated his opponents with his quick hands and relentless hustle to get the ball. Off the ball, Jordan used his offensive skills to be able to read defensive plays and he\u2019d often disrupt passing lanes and create turnovers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">1988, Michael Jordan won Defensive Player of the Year AND averaged 35 ppg. No other player has ever won DPOY and averaged 30 ppg in a season. No other DPOY winner has averaged 30 in ANY season across their career. To top it off, he didn&#8217;t miss a single game<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NBA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NBA<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/BullsNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#BullsNation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zarnwDAeGr\">pic.twitter.com\/zarnwDAeGr<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Jordan Rules (@Rules23Jordan) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Rules23Jordan\/status\/1485149617046290433?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 23, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">7. Gary Payton<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gary Payton was one of the most determined defenders that the NBA has ever seen. He could effectively guard any player on the court with his physicality, footwork and lightning quick hands.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1996 he earned Defensive Player of the Year, the same year he helped guide the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/seattle-supersonics-nba-expansion\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seattle Supersonics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the NBA Finals. He earned nine All-Defensive First Team selections, and he was a vocal leader who could command his teammates effectively on defense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payton built a psychological advantage over his opponents with his notorious trash talking game. He was able to throw his defensive assignments off their game with insults, and was able to take advantage of his opponents weaknesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Kobe learning from Gary Payton during 2000 All-Star Weekend \u2b50\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rr44zMvRp1\">pic.twitter.com\/rr44zMvRp1<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Timeless Sports (@timelesssports_) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/timelesssports_\/status\/1627481628338429952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">February 20, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">6. Tim Duncan<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tim Duncan is the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/best-power-forwards-of-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best power forward of all time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as well as being one of the best defenders ever. He has the most NBA All-Defensive Team selections with 15 in total, and he won five NBA championships in a 19-year career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Duncan\u2019s peak wasn\u2019t as good as others on the list but he still managed Defensive Player of the Year award twice, and he maintained a high level of discipline and defensive performances with remarkable consistency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A major reason for Duncan\u2019s success was his ability to read and anticipate plays which he used to quickly close out passing lanes and blocking shots with ease. He could also guard his own man and help others defend at the same time, and he had excellent positional awareness.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Most All-Defensive teams selections<\/p>\n<p>Tim Duncan 15x<br \/>\nKobe Bryant 12x<br \/>\nKevin Garnett 12x<br \/>\nKareem Abdul-Jabaar 11x<br \/>\nScottie Pippen 10x<\/p>\n<p>Tim and Kobe don&#8217;t get enough credit for their defense. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/B3lPNNEoPJ\">pic.twitter.com\/B3lPNNEoPJ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Real Talk \ud83c\udfc0 (@Real7Talk) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Real7Talk\/status\/1542890438201430016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 1, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Scottie Pippen<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scottie Pippen won six NBA championships in 12 seasons with the Bulls. Often considered to be Michael Jordan&#8217;s right hand man, he is one of the best defenders in NBA history. Often tasked with locking down the opponents best perimeter player, he was also known for his versatility.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Coming in at 6-foot-8, Pippen could mark any guard or power forward as he was quick, athletic and had size on him. He had a great ability to block shots, deflect passes and disrupt passing lanes with his 7-foot-3 wingspan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pippen\u2019s athleticism and footwork helped him on his way to being selected to 10 NBA All-Defensive Teams and his defensive contributions were integral to the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 90s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Scottie Pippen Defense<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If I&#8217;m a young player today&#8230; I would really focus on the defensive end of the floor &amp; focus on Scottie Pippen. This guy was a genius. His ball pressure, playing passing lanes, blocking shots, taking charges &#8212; &amp; he played with a passion.&#8221; &#8211; Kobe Bryant <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zSBuiiZz5p\">pic.twitter.com\/zSBuiiZz5p<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Jaycob Ammerman (@Jammer2233) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Jammer2233\/status\/1385957170936692738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 24, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. David Robinson<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his prime the 7-foot-1, 250-pound center David Robinson was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1992. He was selected to 8 All-Defensive Teams and he won two NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Robinson was a beast, using his combination of speed, size and athleticism to lock down both the paint and perimeter. An extremely effective shot-blocker, he had impeccable timing which he used to swat away shots and intimidate opponents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So versatile was Robinson, he became only the third player in history to record a quadruple-double in a game. In 1994 against the Pistons, Robinson finished a game with 34 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds and 10 blocks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Name a 7 FOOTER that could RUN, JUMP, SHOOT AND play DEFENSE like The Admiral?<\/p>\n<p>HBD NBA legend David Robinson<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4g1zrkFe2z\">pic.twitter.com\/4g1zrkFe2z<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Ballislife\/status\/1555897319849091072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 6, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Dennis Rodman<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dennis Rodman joined the Chicago Bulls during Jordan\u2019s second championship run. Part of the Detroit Pistons\u2019 \u201cBad Boys\u201d, he joined the Bulls and had crucial contributions during their title run.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unconventional at the best of times, Rodman\u2019s personality was unpredictable but there\u2019s no doubt that his hard work and dedication helped him to develop into one of the best defenders in NBA history.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rodman could guard any position and he was quick, agile and had power that translated into an imposing physical game. He was one of the best rebounders and defenders, able to position, block and steal his way to two NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and seven All-Defensive First Team selections.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">2x NBA All-Star, 5x NBA Champion, 7x Rebound Champ, 8x All-Defensive selection, 2x Defensive Player of the Year and 75th Anniversary Team member\u2026 Dennis Rodman! <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NBA75?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NBA75<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Watch more Rodman moments: <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/0ieg10ED4K\">https:\/\/t.co\/0ieg10ED4K<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qUY09dOP4b\">pic.twitter.com\/qUY09dOP4b<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA (@NBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA\/status\/1508877903005691907?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 29, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Hakeem Olajuwon<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hakeem Olajuwon was a part of one of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/best-nba-draft-class\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best draft classes of all time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which included Michael Jordan. The Rockets picked Olajuwon with the first pick of the 1984 draft and he helped Houston to become one of the best teams in the NBA during his era.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olajuwon won two NBA championships with the Rockets, going back-to-back in 1994 and 1995. His shot blocking ability was insane and he\u2019s the all time leader in blocked shots. He could also steal the ball with ease thanks to his incredible footwork.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listed at seven-foot, he had blistering speed and agility for someone with his size and strength, and he was selected to nine NBA All-Defensive teams.<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The NBA announced that the Defensive Player of the Year award has been renamed The Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy!<\/p>\n<p>An honor of eternity.<\/p>\n<p>Congrats, Dream! \ud83d\udc4f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/T4So2YHQVk\">pic.twitter.com\/T4So2YHQVk<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/HoustonRockets\/status\/1602651005153329153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 13, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Bill Russell<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bill Russell is the best NBA defender of all time. He\u2019s also one of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/best-nba-players-of-all-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">best players of all time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, winning 11 titles in a 13-year career. Russell revolutionized the way a center should play and he was one of the most dominating players ever.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He dominated the paint and averaged more than 22 rebounds per game. Despite his 6-foot-10 height he was exceptionally quick and was able to keep up and shut down guards from the perimeter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately blocked shots weren\u2019t recorded in his era but it&#8217;s estimated that Russell had around 12 blocks per game with his 7-foot-4 wingspan and insane leaping ability. Just his presence on court was enough to mentally overwhelm his opponents.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Watch NBA legends Bill Russell and Kevin Garnett talk defense, motivation, and family \ud83d\udc9a<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/a7qKl7Hd37\">pic.twitter.com\/a7qKl7Hd37<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 NBA (@NBA) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NBA\/status\/1555279064981725185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 4, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Who are the best defenders in NBA history? We&#8217;ve seen some dominant players lock down their opponents and influence the way the game is played. Best Defenders in NBA History: These players dominated on the defense end and was often the difference between their team winning and losing. Let&#8217;s take a look at the 10&hellip;&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/best-defenders-in-nba\/\" class=\"\" rel=\"bookmark\">Read More &raquo;<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">10 Best Defenders in NBA History: 2023 Edition<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22300,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[697,1055,1052,1053,1049,1054,1050,86,720,1051],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>10 Best Defenders in NBA History: 2023 Edition - WOLFGANGSPORT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wolfgangsport.com\/best-defenders-in-nba\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Best Defenders in NBA History: 2023 Edition - WOLFGANGSPORT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Who are the best defenders in NBA history? We&#8217;ve seen some dominant players lock down their opponents and influence the way the game is played. Best Defenders in NBA History: These players dominated on the defense end and was often the difference between their team winning and losing. 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