EuroLeague Best Defender

The EuroLeague Best Defender is an annual basketball award of the European premier level EuroLeague. It is awarded to the best defensive player throughout the season, up until the EuroLeague Final Four stage of the season. The award began in the 2004–05 season, and the winner is selected by the EuroLeague's head coaches. Dimitris Diamantidis of Panathinaikos Athens, won the first five awards, from 2005 to 2009.

Winners

Season	Position	Best Defender	Club	Ref.
2004–05	PG	Dimitris Diamantidis	Panathinaikos
2005–06	PG	Dimitris Diamantidis (2x)	Panathinaikos
2006–07	PG	Dimitris Diamantidis (3x)	Panathinaikos
2007–08	PG	Dimitris Diamantidis (4x)	Panathinaikos
2008–09	PG	Dimitris Diamantidis (5x)	Panathinaikos
2009–10	PF	Victor Khryapa	CSKA Moscow	^[1]
2010–11	PG	Dimitris Diamantidis (6x)	Panathinaikos	^[2]
2011–12	SF	Andrei Kirilenko	CSKA Moscow	^[3]
2012–13	C	Stéphane Lasme	Panathinaikos	^[4]
2013–14	C	Bryant Dunston	Olympiacos	^[5]
2014–15	C	Bryant Dunston (2x)	Olympiacos	^[6]
2015–16	C	Kyle Hines	CSKA Moscow	^[7]
2016–17	SF	Ádám Hanga	Baskonia	^[8]
2017–18	C	Kyle Hines (2x)	CSKA Moscow	^[9]
2018–19	C	Edy Tavares	Real Madrid	^[10]
2019–20	Not awarded ¹
2020–21	C	Edy Tavares (2x)	Real Madrid	^[11]
2021–22	C	Kyle Hines (3x)	A\|X Armani Exchange Milan	^[12]
2022–23	C	Edy Tavares (3x)	Real Madrid	^[13]
2023–24	PG	Thomas Walkup	Olympiacos	^[14]

Notes:

^1 There was no awarding in the 2019–20, because the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in Europe.

Multiple honors

Players

Number	Player
6	Dimitris Diamantidis
3	Kyle Hines
3	Edy Tavares
2	Bryant Dunston
1	Ádám Hanga
	Victor Khryapa
	Andrei Kirilenko
	Stéphane Lasme
	Thomas Walkup

Player nationality

Number	Country
7	Greece
3	United States
3	Cape Verde
2	Armenia
2	Russia
1	Gabon
1	Hungary

Clubs

Number	Club
7	Panathinaikos
4	CSKA Moscow
3	Real Madrid
3	Olympiacos
1	Baskonia
1	Olimpia Milano

References

^ Best Defender Trophy: Viktor Khryapa, CSKA Moscow.
^ Dimitris Diamantidis wins sixth Best Defender Trophy.
^ Best Defender Trophy: Andrei Kirilenko, CSKA Moscow.
^ Best Defender Trophy winner: Stephane Lasme, Panathinaikos Athens.
^ "Coaches vote Bryant Dunston of Olympiacos this season's Best Defender". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
^ "2014-15 Best Defender Trophy winner: Bryant Dunston, Olympiacos Piraeus". Retrieved 6 May 2015.
^ Best Defender Trophy: Kyle Hines, CSKA Moscow.
^ Adam Hanga of Baskonia captures Best Defender Trophy.
^ "EuroLeague Best Defender: Kyle Hines, CSKA Moscow". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
^ "EuroLeague Best Defender: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
^ "Real's Tavares repeats as EuroLeague Best Defender". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
^ "Kyle Hines is the 2021-22 EuroLeague Best Defender". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
^ "Walter Tavares is the 2022-23 EuroLeague Best Defender | EuroLeague". Euroleague Basketball. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
^ "Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos is voted the 2023-24 EuroLeague Best Defender | EuroLeague". Euroleague Basketball. 2024-05-11. Retrieved 2024-05-11.

External links

[1] Best Defender Trophy: Viktor Khryapa, CSKA Moscow.

[2] Dimitris Diamantidis wins sixth Best Defender Trophy.

[3] Best Defender Trophy: Andrei Kirilenko, CSKA Moscow.

[4] Best Defender Trophy winner: Stephane Lasme, Panathinaikos Athens.

[5] "Coaches vote Bryant Dunston of Olympiacos this season's Best Defender". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 7 May 2014.

[6] "2014-15 Best Defender Trophy winner: Bryant Dunston, Olympiacos Piraeus". Retrieved 6 May 2015.

[7] Best Defender Trophy: Kyle Hines, CSKA Moscow.

[8] Adam Hanga of Baskonia captures Best Defender Trophy.

[9] "EuroLeague Best Defender: Kyle Hines, CSKA Moscow". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 10 May 2018.

[10] "EuroLeague Best Defender: Walter Tavares, Real Madrid". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 8 May 2019.

[11] "Real's Tavares repeats as EuroLeague Best Defender". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 13 May 2021.

[12] "Kyle Hines is the 2021-22 EuroLeague Best Defender". Euroleague.net. Retrieved 10 May 2022.

[13] "Walter Tavares is the 2022-23 EuroLeague Best Defender | EuroLeague". Euroleague Basketball. Retrieved 2023-05-13.

[14] "Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos is voted the 2023-24 EuroLeague Best Defender | EuroLeague". Euroleague Basketball. 2024-05-11. Retrieved 2024-05-11.

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