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Bobby Jones (basketball, born 1951)
Born
Bobby Jones made the NBA's All-Defensive first team eight straight seasons from 1977 as a lean forward with Denver and Philadelphia, quick enough to stay with wings and long enough to bother post players. He was the sixth man on the 1983 champion 76ers. In an era of fixed matchups, he was the rare forward coaches moved around by opponent, which makes him the template for later switch defenders.
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Michael Cooper
Born
Showtime's stopper, Cooper was the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year off the bench and drew Larry Bird in the great Lakers-Celtics Finals, despite giving up size. Bird named him the toughest defender he faced. Cooper also guarded point guards, which shows the range: long arms, low stance and a willingness to chase anyone the Lakers needed him to.
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Scottie Pippen
Pippen made eight All-Defensive first teams and was the Bulls' answer to almost every problem: Magic Johnson in the 1991 Finals, point guards who needed pressure, forwards who needed length. At about 6ft 8in with huge arms, he could pick up full court and still help at the rim. He is the clearest 1990s example of a wing who changed what a defensive assignment could be.
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Dennis Rodman
Born
Before he became the league's best rebounder, Rodman won two Defensive Player of the Year awards in Detroit, defending Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan in spells and bruising power forwards. At 6ft 7in he gave up real height to centres such as Shaquille O'Neal, and that was his limit. His footwork, strength and anticipation still let him handle most positions on the floor.
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Gary Payton
Born
The Glove is still the only point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year, in 1996, and made nine All-Defensive first teams. He was strong enough to post up and defend bigger guards, and Seattle sometimes put him on Michael Jordan in the 1996 Finals, slowing him in the later games. Payton's range was mostly across the backcourt, but within it he could take anyone.
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Kevin Garnett
Born
Garnett was a 7-footer who could switch onto guards on the perimeter and recover to protect the rim, which is why Boston's 2008 title defence was built around him; he was Defensive Player of the Year that season. He talked constantly, directing rotations. His mobility at his size foreshadowed the modern big who must guard in space as well as in the paint.
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Metta Sandiford-Artest
Born
As Ron Artest he won the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year award in Indiana, and later guarded Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Kevin Durant in big moments, then Paul Pierce for the Lakers in the 2010 Finals. His strength and hands let him handle wings and power forwards. His career also carried well-known disciplinary lows, but as a wing stopper he was among the best of his era.
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Tamika Catchings
Born
Catchings won the WNBA's Defensive Player of the Year five times and retired as the league's career steals leader. A forward with guard quickness, she defended stars at several positions for Indiana and won the 2012 title as Finals MVP. Her hands in passing lanes were the signature, and her versatility made the Fever's defence work for a decade.
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Andre Iguodala
Born
Iguodala won the 2015 Finals MVP largely for his defence on LeBron James, coming off the bench and into the starting line-up mid-series. Over his Golden State years he guarded point guards, wings and stretch forwards, a key part of the switching that let the Warriors play small. His reads and hands, more than raw athleticism by then, made him the connective defender of a dynasty.
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Kawhi Leonard
Born
Leonard won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in San Antonio, and as a 22-year-old helped slow LeBron James in the 2014 Finals, winning Finals MVP. His enormous hands strip dribblers and his strength handles forwards. Toronto fans saw the full package in 2019, when he guarded Giannis Antetokounmpo in the conference finals. Injuries have since limited how often he can carry that load.
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Alyssa Thomas
Born
Alyssa Thomas is best known for triple-doubles, but her defence is just as unusual: a strong forward who can guard post players, switch onto guards and lead fast breaks off her own stops. She has been named to multiple WNBA All-Defensive teams and carried Connecticut through Finals runs. Her physical style can draw fouls, the one caveat; few players cover as many matchups.
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Jrue Holiday
Born
Holiday is a guard built like a linebacker, which lets him defend point guards at the point of attack and hold up against bigger wings on switches. He won titles with Milwaukee in 2021 and Boston in 2024, both times as a key perimeter defender, and he has made several All-Defensive teams. His screen navigation is the detail to watch: he rarely dies on a pick.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo
Born
Giannis won the 2020 Defensive Player of the Year in the same season as his second MVP, roaming as a help defender with a seven-foot frame and guard-like speed. Milwaukee used him on the ball against wings and as a weak-side rim protector, and his block on Deandre Ayton in the 2021 Finals is the highlight. He is more a roaming disruptor than a lockdown defender on one man.
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Bam Adebayo
Born
Adebayo is the modern switch centre: a 6ft 9in big who can stay in front of point guards on the perimeter and then battle centres. Miami's defence has been built around that flexibility through deep playoff runs, and his late block on Jayson Tatum in the 2020 conference finals is the classic clip. He has made several All-Defensive teams.
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OG Anunoby
Born
Raptors fans watched Anunoby grow from a rookie into the wing Toronto put on the opponent's best scorer, guards or forwards. His strength and wingspan let him handle switches across positions without fouling much, and his deflection numbers are high. His trade to New York added that same role to a contender. He is a useful case for how valuable a quiet, versatile stopper is.
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Victor Wembanyama
Born
Wembanyama became the first unanimous Defensive Player of the Year in 2026, at 22 the youngest winner, and led the league in blocks for a third straight season. He is mainly a rim protector, but at around 7ft 4in he can switch onto guards on the perimeter and still contest their jumpers, which is what makes him unprecedented. His reach changes shots that he does not even touch.
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Ausar Thompson
Born
Detroit's Ausar Thompson finished third in the 2026 Defensive Player of the Year vote as a wing who can guard ball-handlers, chase shooters and switch onto forwards. His athleticism and timing in passing lanes produce steals and blocks for a non-centre. His jump shot is still developing, which limits his minutes in some line-ups, but defensively he is one of the most versatile young players in the league.
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