Serge Ibaka played 7 seasons with the Thunder.
Making an All-NBA Defensive First Team is an incredible individual accomplishment, especially when considering that only five players are awarded with that honor each year. This list spotlights the franchise’s standouts — from its days as the Seattle SuperSonics through its era as the Oklahoma City Thunder — who have earned First Team selections across 58 seasons.
Gary Payton – 9 times (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002)
Payton spent his first 12 and a half years as a pro with the Seattle SuperSonics after they made him the second overall pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. Widely considered one of the best defenders in the history of the game, ‘The Glove’ earned that nickname by being selected to nine consecutive All-Defensive First Teams from ‘94 to ‘02. In that same span, Payton garnered nine straight All-NBA honors while finishing sixth or higher in the Defensive Player of the Year vote. In 1995-96, he won the DPOY trophy after putting up 19.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and a league-leading and career-best 2.9 steals per game over 81 contests.
Over the course of his tenure in Seattle, Payton averaged 18.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 7.4 apg and 2.1 spg across 999 regular-season appearances. In his 17-year career in the NBA, ‘GP’ was a nine-time All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive member, one-time steals champ, one-time DPOY, and a 2006 champion with the Miami Heat. Payton is also a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013.
Serge Ibaka – 3 times (2012, 2013, 2014)
Ibaka was a defensive menace throughout his 14 years in the NBA, but we’ll focus on his first seven seasons as a pro in Oklahoma City. From 2011-12 to 2013-14, ‘Air Congo’ was awarded with three consecutive All-Defensive First Team honors while finishing top-four in the DPOY vote each year. During that span, he led the league in blocks twice, tallying at least 2.7 blocks per game and setting a personal best mark with 3.7 bpg at age-22 in his third campaign. Ibaka currently holds the top four spots in single season blocks in OKC’s franchise history, with the 242 total swats he compiled in 2012-13 the most all-time for the Thunder.
Dennis Johnson – 2 times (1979, 1980)
Seattle chose Johnson with the 29th overall pick in the 1976 NBA Draft, and he went on to establish himself as a tenacious defender during his four years there. He earned his first All-Star and All-Defensive First Team honors after breaking out with 15.9 points, 4.7 boards, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.2 blocks across 80 games in 1978-79. ‘D.J.’ was even better the following season, averaging 19.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.8 spg and 1.0 bpg, making it two straight seasons in which he tallied at least 1.0 spg and 1.0 bpg as a 6-foot-4 combo guard. Over his 14-year Hall of Fame career, Johnson racked up nine All-Defensive selections, was a five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA, three-time NBA champion, and the 1978-79 Finals MVP with the SuperSonics.
Slicks Watts – 1976
Watts only played six seasons in the NBA, but he made a statement during the 1975-76 campaign with Seattle. He averaged 13.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while leading the league in assists (8.1) and steals (3.2) across all 82 games. Watts was rewarded with his lone All-Defensive First Team selection at age-24 in his third professional season. The 261 total steals he swiped that year are the most in a single season in OKC’s franchise history, beating the legendary Gary Payton by 30 for the top spot.
Paul George – 2019
George’s 2018-19 campaign will go down as one of the best individual campaigns in the history of the sport. Across 77 outings that year, he posted 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and a league-leading 2.2 steals per contest. ‘PG-13’ was rewarded with All-Defensive First Team, All-NBA First Team and All-Star nods while finishing third for both the MVP and DPOY trophies. George is one of just two players to record a season with 28.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 2.0 spg since 1973, joining Michael Jordan, who did so during the 1988-89 season.
Luguentz Dort – 2025
Despite going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, Dort fought his way into a starting role for the Thunder after one season with the organization. In his six professional campaigns, all of which have been spent in OKC, the Canadian has asserted himself as one of the league’s toughest, premiere defenders while helping his squad win an NBA championship in 2024-25. During the regular season, ‘Lu’ averaged 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, a career-high 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per contest. The 26-year-old Dort was named to his first career All-Defensive First Team and finished fourth in the DPOY vote.
