Dennis Rodman earned multiple All-Defensive First Team honors with the Pistons.
The “Bad Boy” and “Goin’ to work” Detroit squads were among the greatest defensive teams in NBA history. Due to that, they’re well represented and decorated here, among Pistons who earned First-Team All-Defense honors.
Ben Wallace – 2001-2002, 2005-2006
During this five-year run, Wallace was the backbone of a Pistons squad that routinely went deep into the playoffs, winning a championship in 2004, as well as making a second finals appearance in 2005. He was also named the NBA’s Kia Defensive Player of the Year in four of these seasons, while finishing second in 2004. In the 2001-02 campaign, he led the league with 3.5 blocks and 13.0 rebounds per game, and he also claimed the rebounding crown the following season by averaging 15.4 rebounds per game. Despite being limited offensively, never averaging more than 9.7 points, his defensive presence was substantial enough to earn him four All-Star appearances, as well as three Second-Team All-NBA and two Third-Team All-NBA selections. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Dennis Rodman – 1992-1993, 1998-89
Rodman spent the first seven seasons of his career in Detroit after being selected 27th overall in the 1986 NBA Draft. He quickly ascended to being regarded as one of the best defensive players in the league, earning First-Team All-Defensive honors in his third season. He would also take home the Kia Defensive Player of the Year award in 1990 and 1991, and finish runner-up in 1992. Rodman was a beast on the boards, leading the league for seven straight seasons, including his final two years in Detroit, grabbing 18.7 in 1992 and 18.3 in 1993. His career average of 13.2 rebounds per game currently ranks as the 10th-best mark in NBA history. After 14 seasons, Rodman’s career would end, last playing for Dallas, and he’d finish as a five-time NBA Champion and get inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
Joe Dumars – 1988-1989, 1992-1993
Dumars was one half of one of the best backcourt duos of all time with Isiah Thomas. His footwork defensively, along with his basketball IQ, made him a force on the perimeter for opposing players. During his 14-year NBA career, he secured First-Team All-Defense honors four times and made the second team once. Dumars also finished in the top five of the Kia Defensive Player of the Year voting three times from 1990-92, and earned six All-Star nods. He also won two NBA Championships, along with the 1989 Finals MVP. His basketball IQ, which made Dumars so successful on the court, was later used in the front office after he retired. He helped mold the Pistons’ successful run in the mid-2000s as the President of Basketball Operations, and brought another championship to the franchise. Dumars entered the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
