NBL Best Defensive Player Award

The National Basketball League Best Defensive Player is an annual National Basketball League (NBL) award given since the 1980 NBL season to the best defensive player of the regular season. At the season's end, each club nominates one player for the award with the Head Coach, one Assistant Coach and the Team Captain then voting in a 3-2-1 format (3 votes being indicative of the most deserving). Voters are not allowed to vote for players from their own team.^[1] Guards Darnell Mee and Damian Martin have both won the award five times each, with Martin winning it five seasons in a row (2011–15).^[2]

Winners

Year Player Nationality Team 1979 N/A N/A N/A 1980 Ray Wood  Australia West Adelaide Bearcats 1981 Ray Wood (2)  Australia West Adelaide Bearcats 1982 Phil Smyth  Australia St. Kilda Saints 1983 Phil Smyth (2)  Australia St. Kilda Saints 1984 N/A N/A N/A 1985 N/A N/A N/A 1986 N/A N/A N/A 1987 Leroy Loggins  United States Brisbane Bullets 1988 Phil Smyth (3)  Australia Canberra Cannons 1989 Phil Smyth (4)  Australia Canberra Cannons 1990 Leroy Loggins (2)  United States Brisbane Bullets 1991 Terry Dozier  United States Geelong Supercats 1992 Terry Dozier (2)  United States Newcastle Falcons 1993 Terry Dozier (3)  United States Newcastle Falcons 1994 Darren Lucas  Australia South East Melbourne Magic 1995 Darren Lucas (2)  Australia South East Melbourne Magic 1996 Isaac Burton  United States Sydney Kings 1997 Mike Kelly  United States South East Melbourne Magic 1998 Mike Kelly (2)  United States South East Melbourne Magic 1998–99 Darnell Mee  United States Adelaide 36ers 1999–2000 Darnell Mee (2)  United States Adelaide 36ers 2000–01 Darnell Mee (3)  United States Adelaide 36ers 2001–02 Simon Dwight  Australia West Sydney Razorbacks 2002–03 Glen Saville  Australia Wollongong Hawks 2003–04 Ben Castle  Australia Brisbane Bullets 2004–05 Darnell Mee (4)  United States Wollongong Hawks 2005–06 Darnell Mee (5)  United States Cairns Taipans 2006–07 Sam Mackinnon  Australia Brisbane Bullets 2007–08 Chris Anstey  Australia Melbourne Tigers 2008–09 Adam Gibson  Australia South Dragons 2009–10 Dillon Boucher  New Zealand New Zealand Breakers 2010–11 Damian Martin  Australia Perth Wildcats 2011–12 Damian Martin (2)  Australia Perth Wildcats 2012–13 Damian Martin (3)  Australia Perth Wildcats 2013–14 Damian Martin (4)  Australia Perth Wildcats 2014–15 Damian Martin (5)  Australia Perth Wildcats 2015–16 Kevin Lisch  United States Illawarra Hawks

References

1. ↑ "LISCH DETHRONES MARTIN FOR BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER". NBL.com.au. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 17 February 2016. 
2. ↑ "NBL Awards: Defensive Player of the Year". NBL.com.au. 4 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 March 2015. 

NBL Best Defensive Player Award
1979: N/A 1980: Wood 1981: Wood 1982: Smyth 1983: Smyth 1984–1986: N/A 1987: Loggins 1988: Smyth 1989: Smyth 1990: Loggins 1991: Dozier 1992: Dozier 1993: Dozier 1994: Lucas 1995: Lucas 1996: Burton 1997: Kelly 1998: Kelly 1999: Mee 2000: Mee 2001: Mee 2002: Dwight 2003: Saville 2004: Castle 2005: Mee 2006: Mee 2007: Mackinnon 2008: Anstey 2009: Gibson 2010: Boucher 2011: Martin 2012: Martin 2013: Martin 2014: Martin 2015: Martin 2016: Lisch