You may remember the Golden State Warriors' Draymond Green humbly declaring himself as the greatest defender in NBA history. He has received, we'll say energetic, pushback on the claim from the likes of Tony Allen, and even some genuine consideration from Metta World Peace (formerly Ron Artest).
However, with respect to all three of these brilliant defensive players, their statements are cute at best.
At the risk of echoing the cries of old-timers that basketball isn't the same as it once was, defense is simply something that hasn't changed over the years. Athleticism is still at a premium, as is effort and willpower. While these three greats have those all in spades, they pale in comparison to the truly great defenders in NBA history.
Just this season, Draymond has been eclipsed by the likes of Ben Simmons, Rudy Gobert, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and a suddenly resurgent LeBron James.
Historically, Draymond Green is already bucking for a place among the great defensive NBA centers, with an earlier, more athletic corollary in Detroit Pistons legend Ben Wallace. How quick we all are to forget the careers of centers like Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dwight Howard, Dikembe Mutombo, and Alonzo Mourning, all defensive legends in their own right. Ditto for the San Antonio Spurs' historical twin towers of Tim Duncan and David Robinson. On the perimeter, Green is overshadowed by John Stockton, Kobe Bryant, and Kawhi Leonard. Dig in and you'll find names like Jason Kidd and Clyde Frazier as defensive greats.
Draymond Green and the youth are suffering from a terrible case of recency bias. The NBA has been littered with amazing and iconic talent on the less glamorous side of the ball, and everyone is forgetting that.
Consider this your medicine, because you'll notice that there are some notable names that have been left off of this list of legends so far. Those names are the actual contenders for the NBA's all-time defensive crown.
Bill Russell
To put it bluntly: any list of the NBA's defensive legends that leaves out Bill Russell is objectively wrong.
There will never be a bad time to wax poetic about the impact of Bill Russell's defense on the game of basketball, and in a vacuum, that might be all we can really discuss. While his available defensive stats are eye-popping (22.5 career RPG), there is little available data other than rebounds, as most advanced stats were not calculated until much later in the NBA's lifetime. Worse, Bill Russell played in an era before the recording of steals and blocks, so it's hard to hear of anything aside from tall tales of his defensive exploits.
Those tall tales are, of course, substantial, with news reports regularly crediting him for 6-10 blocks each night. But with actual Goliath-like stats to back up the ridiculousness of stats in Russell's era (i.e. 22.5 career RPG), an average of 5 or so blocks per game isn't out of the question.
For that matter, neither is Russell's impact on that end of the court. Era or no era, one of the advanced stats that is able to be calculated by studying old tape is win shares, which calculate how many wins a player is directly responsible for on their own.
Can you guess who has the most defensive win shares of all time? If you guessed Draymond Green, you would be very wrong.
Russell is the owner of 133.64 defensive win shares, meaning that he won over 133 games, on defense, by himself. The next closest mark isn't even close, with Tim Duncan's 106.34.
Finally, before you try and counter with an athleticism argument about Bill Russell's position or his era, look up literally any set of Bill Russell highlights on YouTube. Watch how he is able to snatch shots in mid-air, keep up with guards on the perimeter, and run an entire fast break as the primary ball handler.
Go, watch those highlights, and reconsider your mistakes.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Anything said about Bill Russell goes the same way for The Dream.
If Hakeem Olajuwon was known for anything besides his shake in the post, it was for his ability to shut down entire lineups on his own defensively. Luckily for Olajuwon, we are able to view all of his records with our most advanced measurements (more on that in a second).
First of all, the accolades speak for themselves. Olajuwon is a 2x DPOY winner, and a 9x All-NBA Defensive Team selection. He led the league in rebounds twice, and in blocked shots three times.
In fact, remember how a reasonable BPG average for Bill Russell was around five? Olajuwon, the league's all-time leader in blocked shots, averaged 4.6 per game at his peak, and over three per game for his career.
He is also top five in all-time defensive win shares, and before you say anything about any inability to roam the perimeter like Bill Russell, you can shove it: Olajuwon averaged nearly two steals per game over the course of his career.
Scottie Pippen/Dennis Rodman/Michael Jordan
Maybe this entry is cheating a little bit, but you can't not have these three appear together. The 90's Chicago Bulls were an absolute nightmare on either side of the court, and this specific trio is emblematic of that team.
Let's start with possibly the trio's most underrated defender ever: Michael Jordan. Honestly, the fact that Jordan is the most underrated defender out of these three is testament to how overwhelming he was as an overall talent. The 9x All-Defensive Team nods speak for themselves, as does his claim to fame as only one of seven guards to earn the DPOY award. Jordan has led the league in steals on three separate occasion, and has the second-most career blocked shots of any guard in NBA history, only trailing Dwyane Wade.
Scottie Pippen was the defensive lynchpin for both of Chicago's three-peats beside Michael Jordan, and actually outpaces the GOAT in career defensive win shares. While he never earned the DPOY award (competing with the likes of Hakeem, Jordan himself, Rodman, Gary Payton, and David Robinson didn't help), Pippen made the NBA All-Defensive Team 10 times, one more than Jordan. He was the ultimate perimeter and team defender, and the Jordan/Pippen trap was a veritable torture chamber for opposing guards.
Finally, this three-headed hydra wouldn't be complete without a little crazy: Dennis Rodman. The Worm wasn't a perimeter hound like the other two members of the Bulls' Big Three, but he had his own claim to fame, averaging 15 RPG during his time with Chicago, and owning by far the best defensive rating out of the three (he was the only one of the trio to get a rating below 100 during the Bulls' second three-peat). Rodman also has his own accolades as a 7x rebounding champion, 8x All-Defensive Team selection, and 2x DPOY award winner. Draymond Green is considered by some to be the “Rodman” of the Warriors dynasty, but he clearly can't hold a candle to The Worm's overall defensive impact.
The stats speak for themselves. These three players were one giant three-headed beast that could cover every square inch on the court.
Honorable Mentions
Some quick honorable mentions for the all-time defensive crown should be listed here. Kevin Garnett was essentially Tim Duncan with more athleticism and fury. Sidney Moncrief won the first two DPOY awards, and is the only guard with multiple wins. Gary Payton is Sidney's more famous heir, and the only point guard to win the award.
Long story short: talk is cheap, Draymond. The greatest defender in NBA history wouldn't give up 30+ in seven straight quarters. If you are to live up to any of the legends on this list, put your money where your mouth is.
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