Cleveland Cavaliers player Evan Mobley has won the 2024-25 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, also called the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy.
This is Mobley’s first time winning the award in his four years in the NBA. He is also the first Cavaliers player to ever win this honor.
At 23 years old, Mobley becomes the fifth player at that age to win the award. Others include Alvin Robertson, Dwight Howard, Kawhi Leonard, and Jaren Jackson Jr.
No player younger than 23 has ever won this award, which has been given out every year since the 1982-83 season.
In the 2024-25 NBA season, Evan Mobley was one of the best defenders. He was sixth in blocked shots per game (1.59) and 13th in defensive rebounds per game (7.0). He challenged 10.4 shots per game — the third most among players who played in at least 70% of their games (58 out of 82).
When Mobley was the closest defender, opponents made only 44.5% of their shots — 3.2% less than expected. That was the fourth biggest difference among players who defended 1,000 or more shots.
With Mobley leading the way, the Cavaliers were eighth in defensive rating (111.8) and third in opponent field goal percentage (45.4%). When he was on the court, the team’s defensive rating improved to 108.6 — the second-best in the league.
Mobley won the NBA Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month award in both December and February. He was also chosen as an NBA All-Star for the first time.
Mobley averaged 18.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 30.5 minutes over 71 games. He helped the Cavaliers finish with a 64-18 record — the second-best in team history — and the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
A group of 100 media members voted for the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. The votes were counted by the firm Ernst & Young LLP.
