Dual All-NBA and All-Defensive Nods

A short post on players who were named to one of the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams in the same season.

While doing some research for a future post, I got sidetracked looking at players who were named to the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams in the same season. I thought the results were interesting, so I’m going to post them here with some commentary sprinkled in. Keep in mind the NBA began naming All-Defensive teams starting with the 1968-69 season, so many all-time greats — most notably Bill Russell* — will be missing from these lists.

* I should note that the then-35-year-old Russell was named to the inaugural All-Defensive First Team in his 13th and final season.

First, here are the players with the most dual All-NBA/All-Defensive selections:

• 15 — Tim Duncan

• 12 — Kobe Bryant

• 10 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

• 9 — Michael Jordan

• 9 — Gary Payton

• 8 — John Havlicek

• 8 — Hakeem Olajuwon

• 8 — David Robinson

• 8 — Kevin Garnett

• 8 — Chris Paul