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Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons won his third NBA Defensive Player of the Year in four years as the NBA today announced him as the 2004-05 recipient.

With this honor, Wallace joins Dikembe Mutombo (1994-95, 1996-97, 1997-98 and 2000-01), as the only players in NBA history to win this award on three or more occasions.

This season, Wallace became only the fourth player in NBA history (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon six times and Tim Duncan five times) to average 12-plus rebounds and two-plus blocks for five consecutive seasons. He also joined an elite class this season becoming the fifth player (Olajuwon (12), Julius Erving, Sam Lacey and David Robinson all with seven) in NBA history to record 100 blocks and 100 steals in five consecutive seasons.

Wallace received 339 points, including 45 first-place votes, from a panel of 125 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. 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. San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen finished second with 247 points and Denver’s Marcus Camby finished third with 168 points.

The three-time Defensive Player of the Year finished the 2004-05 NBA regular season with averages of a career-high 9.7 points, 12.2 rebounds, a career-high 2.1 assists, 1.43 steals and 2.38 blocks in 36.1 minutes per game. He finished the season as the only NBA player ranked in the top five in blocks and steals.

After Ben Wallace (339 vote points) were Bruce Bowen (249), Marcus Camby (168), Tim Duncan (81), Shawn Marion (57), Larry Hughes (53), Tayshaun Prince (46), Shaquille O'Neal (32), Kevin Garnett (30), Andrei Kirilenko (25), Allen Iverson (10), Kirk Hinrich (6) and Joel Przybilla (6), Trenton Hassell (4) and Andre Iguodala (4), Rasheed Wallace (3) and David Wesley (3).

ALL-TIME NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS

Season Winner, Team
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, L.A. 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
1999-2000 Alonzo Mourning, Miami
2000-01 Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia
2001-02 Ben Wallace, Detroit
2002-03 Ben Wallace, Detroit
2003-04 Ron Artest, Indiana
2004-05 Ben Wallace, Detroit