The NBA Defensive Player of the Year award is as self-descriptive as the other NBA awards. It honors who media members feel was the league's best defensive player of the season. Past NBA defensive players of the year award winners often tend to be big-men, and this year was no exception.

2008-09 NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF YEAR AWARD WINNER

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is the recipient of the 2008-09 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.

The 6-11 center led the NBA in rebounds and blocks, averaging 13.8 boards and 2.92 blocks. He also averaged 20.6 points on .572 shooting from the floor. Howard recorded nine 20-point/20-rebound games while leading the team in scoring 39 times and in rebounds on 69 occasions.

Howard, a three-time NBA All-Star, helped the Magic to its second consecutive Southeast Division title (59-23), including a 32-9 record at home. The Magic held opponents under 100 points 54 times this season — compiling a 43-11 record — including a season-low 68 points allowed by New Orleans on Dec. 25. Orlando allowed 94.4 ppg (7,737 points), which ranked sixth in the NBA, and overall the team was in the NBA’s top 10 in seven defensive categories.

Howard became the fifth player in NBA history to finish the season leading the league in rebounding and blocks (1973-74 was the first season blocks were kept as an official statistic). The select group includes Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L.A. Lakers, 1975-76), Bill Walton (Portland Trail Blazers, 1976-77), Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston, 1989-90) and Ben Wallace (Detroit, 2001-02).

Howard received 542 points, including 105 first-place votes, from a panel of 119 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Cleveland’s LeBron James finished second with 148 points and Miami’s Dwyane Wade finished third with 90 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote received.

Finishing fourth was Shane Battier, fifth was Ron Artest, sixth was Chris Paul, seventh was Kobe Bryant, eighth was Kevin Garnett, ninth was Chris Andersen and 10th was Rajon Rondo.

PAST NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR HISTORY

1982-83 - Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee
1983-84 - Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee
1984-85 - Mark Eaton, Utah
1985-86 - Alvin Robertson, San Antonio
1986-87 - Michael Cooper, Los Angeles Lakers
1987-88 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1988-89 - Mark Eaton, Utah
1989-90 - Dennis Rodman, Detroit
1990-91 - Dennis Rodman, Detroit
1991-92 - David Robinson, San Antonio
1992-93 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1993-94 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1994-95 - Dikembe Mutombo, Denver
1995-96 - Gary Payton, Seattle
1996-97 - Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta
1997-98 - Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta
1998-99 - Alonzo Mourning, Miami
1999-00 - Alonzo Mourning, Miami
2000-01 - Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia-Atl
2001-02 - Ben Wallace, Detroit
2002-03 - Ben Wallace, Detroit
2003-04 - Ron Artest, Indiana
2004-05 - Ben Wallace, Detroit
2005-06 Ben Wallace, Detroit
2006-07 Marcus Camby, Denver
2007-08 Kevin Garnett, Boston
2008-09 Dwight Howard, Orlando