Cleveland Cavaliers forward-center Evan Mobley is the recipient of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy as the 2024-25 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Evan Mobley of the Cleveland Cavaliers won the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, beating out the Golden State Warriors Draymond Green and Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks. To be eligible to win the award, a player must play in at least 65 games. Mobley played in 71.

Evan Mobley is the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year award winner in Cavs history. The USC alum grabbed an award that legends like LeBron James, Brad Daugherty, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cliff Robinson, Larry Nance, Hot Rod Williams, and others could not secure during their runs with the team.