NBA Development League Defensive Player of the Year Award

The National Basketball Association Development Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual NBA Development League (NBADL) award given since the 2001–02 NBDL season. From 2001–02 through 2004–05 the league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), and since 2005–06 it has been called the NBA Development League in an effort to more closely associate with the National Basketball Association (NBA), the league to which it is a feeder system for player development.^[1] The league's head coaches determine the award by voting and it is usually presented to the honoree during the NBADL's playoffs.^[2]

Through the 2010–11 season, only one player has been named the Defensive POY more than once; Derrick Zimmerman won in 2005 and 2006 as a member of the Columbus Riverdragons and Austin Toros, respectively. Jeff Myers was the inaugural winner while playing for the Greenville Groove.^[3] A 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) guard, he averaged 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals that season.^[3] By position, forwards and centers have had four winners apiece while three guards were named the defensive player of the year. Two international players have been recipients, and coincidentally both were named co-defensive players of the year in 2007–08. Stephane Lasme of Gabon and Mouhamed Sene of Senegal were the winners, and each plays the forward position as well.

The most recent winner is 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) center Chris Johnson of the Dakota Wizards.^[4]

Key

†	Co-Defensive Players of the Year
Player (X)	Denotes the number of times the player has been awarded the Player of the Year award at that point

Winners

Season	Player	Position	Nationality	Team
2001–02	Myers, JeffJeff Myers	Guard	United States	Greenville Groove
2002–03	Moore, MikkiMikki Moore	Center	United States	Roanoke Dazzle
2003–04	Shabazz, KarimKarim Shabazz	Center	United States	Charleston Lowgators
2004–05	Zimmerman, DerrickDerrick Zimmerman	Guard	United States	Columbus Riverdragons
2005–06	Zimmerman, DerrickDerrick Zimmerman (2)	Guard	United States	Austin Toros
2006–07	Major, RenaldoRenaldo Major	Forward	United States	Dakota Wizards
2007–08†	Lasme, StephaneStephane Lasme	Forward	Gabon	Los Angeles D-Fenders
2007–08†	Sene, MouhamedMouhamed Sene	Forward	Senegal	Idaho Stampede
2008–09	Petway, BrentBrent Petway	Forward	United States	Idaho Stampede
2009–10	Stiemsma, GregGreg Stiemsma	Center	United States	Sioux Falls Skyforce
2010–11	Johnson, ChrisChris Johnson	Center	United States	Dakota Wizards

See also

• NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award

References

General

• "D-League Defensive Player of the Year Award Winners". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/awards/dpoy.html. Retrieved April 22, 2011. 

Specific

1. ^ "NBDL Adopts New Name, Logo, and Ball". NBA Media Ventures, LLC. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.. July 19, 2005. http://www.nba.com/dleague/dleague/rebrandrelease_050719.html. Retrieved April 22, 2011. 
2. ^ Press release (April 19, 2010). "Mike Harris Named NBA D-League MVP". RidiculousUpside.com. http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2010/4/19/1431257/mike-harris-named-nba-d-league-mvp. Retrieved April 22, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Jeff Myers D-League Statistics". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/players/m/myersje01d.html. Retrieved April 22, 2011. 
4. ^ "Dakota's Chris Johnson Named NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, LLC. April 16, 2011. http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/johnson_110416.html. Retrieved April 22, 2011.