youngest player to win defensive player of the year award

5 players are tied for the youngest Defensive Players of the Year in a season. They were 23 years old. The first three are Evan Mobley in 2024-25, Jaren Jackson Jr. in 2022-23 and Kawhi Leonard in 2014-15.

Interpreted as:
youngest player to win defensive player of the year award in a regular season
NAMEAgeDPOYSEASONTMGPMPGPPGRPGAPGSPGBPGFGMFGAFG%3PM3PA3P%FTMFTAFT%TS%OREBDREBTPGMINPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOVPF+/-
1Evan Mobley
E. Mobley
23
1
2024-25
71
30.5
18.5
9.3
3.2
0.9
1.6
7.1
12.8
55.7
1.2
3.2
37.0
3.1
4.3
72.5
63.3
2.3
7.0
2.0
2,167
1,316
659
226
61
113
145
141
+546
2Jaren Jackson Jr.
J. Jackson Jr.
23
1
2022-23
63
28.4
18.6
6.8
1.0
1.0
3.0
6.6
13.0
50.6
1.6
4.5
35.5
3.8
4.9
78.8
61.3
1.7
5.0
1.7
1,787
1,173
426
60
65
189
107
227
+367
3Kawhi Leonard
K. Leonard
23
1
2014-15
64
31.8
16.5
7.2
2.5
2.3
0.8
6.2
12.8
47.9
1.0
3.0
34.9
3.2
3.9
80.2
56.7
1.3
5.9
1.5
2,033
1,057
461
161
148
48
97
128
+441
4Dwight Howard
D. Howard
23
1
2008-09
79
35.7
20.6
13.8
1.4
1.0
2.9
7.1
12.4
57.2
0.0
0.0
0.0
6.4
10.7
59.4
60.0
4.3
9.6
3.0
2,821
1,624
1,093
112
77
231
240
270
+553
5Alvin Robertson
A. Robertson
23
1
1985-86
82
35.1
17.0
6.3
5.5
3.7
0.5
6.9
13.3
51.4
0.1
0.4
27.6
3.2
4.0
79.5
56.3
2.2
4.0
3.1
2,878
1,392
516
448
301
40
256
296
6Kawhi Leonard
K. Leonard
24
1
2015-16
72
33.1
21.2
6.8
2.6
1.8
1.0
7.7
15.1
50.6
1.8
4.0
44.3
4.1
4.6
87.4
61.6
1.3
5.5
1.5
2,380
1,523
493
186
128
71
105
133
+653
7Dwight Howard
D. Howard
24
1
2009-10
82
34.7
18.3
13.2
1.8
0.9
2.8
6.2
10.2
61.2
0.0
0.1
0.0
5.9
10.0
59.2
63.0
3.5
9.7
3.3
2,843
1,503
1,082
144
75
228
274
287
+619
8Metta Sandiford-Artest
M. Sandiford-Artest
24
1
2003-04
73
37.2
18.3
5.3
3.7
2.1
0.7
6.4
15.2
42.1
1.0
3.3
31.0
4.4
6.0
73.3
51.1
1.4
3.9
2.8
2,714
1,333
385
272
152
50
202
194
+486
9Michael Jordan
M. Jordan
24
1
1987-88
82
40.4
35.0
5.5
5.9
3.2
1.6
13.0
24.4
53.5
0.1
0.6
13.2
8.8
10.5
84.1
60.3
1.7
3.8
3.1
3,311
2,868
449
485
259
131
252
270
10Giannis Antetokounmpo
G. Antetokounmpo
25
1
2019-20
63
30.4
29.5
13.6
5.6
1.0
1.0
10.9
19.7
55.3
1.4
4.7
30.4
6.3
10.0
63.3
61.3
2.2
11.4
3.7
1,917
1,857
856
354
61
66
230
195
+682
11Rudy Gobert
R. Gobert
25
1
2017-18
56
32.4
13.5
10.7
1.4
0.8
2.3
4.9
7.9
62.2
0.0
0.0
3.6
5.3
68.2
65.7
2.9
7.8
1.9
1,816
756
601
80
44
129
107
153
+341
12Dwight Howard
D. Howard
25
1
2010-11
78
37.6
22.9
14.1
1.4
1.4
2.4
7.9
13.4
59.3
0.0
0.1
0.0
7.0
11.7
59.6
61.6
4.0
10.1
3.6
2,935
1,784
1,098
107
107
186
279
258
+498
13Sidney Moncrief
S. Moncrief
25
1
1982-83
76
35.7
22.5
5.8
3.9
1.5
0.3
8.0
15.2
52.4
0.0
0.1
10.0
6.6
7.9
82.6
60.2
2.5
3.2
2.6
2,710
1,712
437
300
113
23
197
180
14Rudy Gobert
R. Gobert
26
1
2018-19
81
31.8
15.9
12.9
2.0
0.8
2.3
5.9
8.8
66.9
0.0
0.0
4.1
6.4
63.6
68.2
3.8
9.0
1.6
2,577
1,284
1,041
161
66
187
130
231
+384
15Draymond Green
D. Green
26
1
2016-17
76
32.5
10.2
7.9
7.0
2.0
1.4
3.6
8.6
41.8
1.1
3.5
30.8
2.0
2.8
70.9
52.2
1.3
6.6
2.4
2,471
776
599
533
154
106
184
217
+820
16David Robinson
D. Robinson
26
1
1991-92
68
37.7
23.2
12.2
2.7
2.3
4.5
8.7
15.8
55.1
0.0
0.1
12.5
5.8
8.3
70.1
59.7
3.8
8.4
2.7
2,564
1,578
829
181
158
305
182
219
17Sidney Moncrief
S. Moncrief
26
1
1983-84
79
38.9
20.9
6.7
4.5
1.4
0.3
7.1
14.2
49.8
0.1
0.2
27.8
6.7
7.9
84.8
59.1
2.7
4.0
2.7
3,075
1,654
528
358
108
27
217
204
18Marcus Smart
M. Smart
27
1
2021-22
71
32.3
12.1
3.8
5.9
1.7
0.3
4.2
10.1
41.8
1.7
5.1
33.1
2.0
2.5
79.3
54.0
0.6
3.2
2.2
2,296
861
270
417
119
18
159
160
+443
19Ben Wallace
B. Wallace
27
1
2001-02
80
36.5
7.6
13.0
1.4
1.7
3.5
3.2
6.0
53.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.2
2.9
42.3
52.2
4.0
9.0
0.9
2,921
609
1,039
115
138
278
70
178
+150
20Gary Payton
G. Payton
27
1
1995-96
81
39.0
19.3
4.2
7.5
2.9
0.2
7.6
15.8
48.4
1.2
3.7
32.8
2.8
3.8
74.8
55.4
1.3
2.9
3.2
3,162
1,563
339
608
231
19
260
221
21Rudy Gobert
R. Gobert
28
1
2020-21
71
30.8
14.3
13.5
1.3
0.6
2.7
5.5
8.2
67.5
0.0
0.1
0.0
3.3
5.3
62.3
68.3
3.4
10.1
1.7
2,187
1,015
960
89
40
190
118
163
+728
22Joakim Noah
J. Noah
28
1
2013-14
80
35.3
12.6
11.3
5.4
1.2
1.5
4.8
10.0
47.5
0.0
0.0
0.0
3.1
4.2
73.7
53.1
3.5
7.7
2.4
2,820
1,007
900
431
99
121
194
245
+232
23Marc Gasol
M. Gasol
28
1
2012-13
80
35.0
14.1
7.8
4.0
1.0
1.7
5.4
10.9
49.4
0.0
0.2
7.1
3.4
4.0
84.8
55.9
2.3
5.5
2.0
2,796
1,127
622
318
80
139
157
255
+434
24Ben Wallace
B. Wallace
28
1
2002-03
73
39.4
6.9
15.4
1.6
1.4
3.2
2.9
6.0
48.1
0.0
0.1
16.7
1.2
2.6
45.0
48.6
4.0
11.4
1.2
2,873
506
1,126
120
104
230
88
179
+222
25Alonzo Mourning
A. Mourning
28
1
1998-99
46
38.1
20.1
11.0
1.6
0.7
3.9
7.0
13.8
51.1
0.0
0.0
0.0
6.0
9.2
65.2
56.3
3.6
7.4
3.0
1,753
924
507
74
34
180
139
161
+340

More Cavaliers Stats

Team Leaders

PPG

30.7

Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell

RPG

9.3

Mobley

Evan Mobley

APG

5.5

Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell
Team Rankings

ORTG

116.3

11th

DRTG

114.7

15th

NETRTG

1.6

13th

3P%

33.9

27th

2025-26 Conference Standings
TEAMWLPCTGB
6
15
12
.556
6.0
7
15
13
.536
6.5
8
Cavaliers Cavaliers
15
14
.517
7.0
9
15
14
.517
7.0
10
12
15
.444
9.0
Schedule
DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Mon
12/22
@
7:00 PM
Tue
12/23
@
7:30 PM
Thu
12/25
@
12:00 PM
Sat
12/27
@
8:00 PM
Mon
12/29
@
8:00 PM
Last Game
CHI Bulls

12 - 15

136

Final

125

CLE Cavaliers

15 - 14

Fri 19 Dec 2025

NBA 2025-26 Leaders

NBA 2025-26 Rankings

NBA Fantasy 2025-26

NBA 2025-26 Betting

NBA 2025-26 Standings

EasternWLPCTGB
1
21
6
.778
2
19
8
.704
2.0
3
17
11
.607
4.5
4
16
11
.593
5.0
5
15
11
.577
5.5
6
15
12
.556
6.0
7
15
13
.536
6.5
8
15
14
.517
7.0
9
15
14
.517
7.0
10
12
15
.444
9.0
11
11
17
.393
10.5
12
9
18
.333
12.0
13
7
19
.269
13.5
14
6
21
.222
15.0
15
4
21
.160
16.0
WesternWLPCTGB
1
25
3
.893
2
20
6
.769
4.0
3
20
7
.741
4.5
4
19
7
.731
5.0
5
16
8
.667
7.0
6
18
10
.643
7.0
7
15
12
.556
9.5
8
13
14
.481
11.5
9
13
15
.464
12.0
10
11
16
.407
13.5
11
11
17
.393
14.0
12
10
16
.385
14.0
13
6
21
.222
18.5
14
6
21
.222
18.5
15
6
22
.214
19.0

NBA 2025-26 Scores & Schedule

Scores

DATEMATCHUPSCORE
Mon
11/17
@
113-121
Mon
11/17
@
113-99
Mon
11/17
@
120-112
Mon
11/17
@
101-111
Mon
11/17
@
126-140

Schedule

DATEMATCHUPTIME (ET)
Sat
12/20
@
5:00 PM
Sat
12/20
@
7:00 PM
Sat
12/20
@
7:00 PM
Sat
12/20
@
7:00 PM
Sat
12/20
@
7:30 PM