Rudy Gobert leads the First Team All-Defense awards for the Jazz.
The Utah Jazz have been one of the most consistent franchises in the Western Conference throughout their existence and are often in the mix for postseason contention. The franchise has also had some of the best players in the history of The Association donning their colors.
Here, we’ll focus on the defensive side of the ball. We’ll take a look at all the players who were named to the first-team All-Defense while playing for the Jazz.
Rudy Gobert – 6 times (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022)
Gobert, the towering Frenchman, is widely considered one of the best rim protectors of this generation. He was named to the First Team All-Defense six straight seasons between 2016-17 and 2021-22, a span in which he averaged 14.8 points, 13.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game across 423 regular-season appearances. He also won the Defensive Player of the Year three times over that stretch. Gobert left the Jazz after the 2021-22 season and has played for the Timberwolves in the last three years, winning the Defensive Player of the Year once again in the 2023-24 campaign.
Karl Malone – 3 times (1997, 1998, 1999)
Malone is considered one of the best power forwards to ever play in the NBA. “The Mailman” was a dominant presence on offense, but he also thrived on the defensive end during the prime years of his career. Malone was named to the First Team All-Defense in three seasons in a row between the 1996-97 and 1998-99 campaigns. Malone also won the MVP award twice during that three-year stretch, where he averaged 26.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks per contest. Malone earned four All-Defense nods and 14 All-Star appearances throughout his 19-year career.
Mark Eaton – 3 times (1985, 1986, 1989)
Eaton spent each of the 11 years of his career with the Utah Jazz, and he was an outstanding defensive presence during his prime years. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award twice, in the 1984-85 and 1988-89 seasons, but he was also named to the First Team All-Defense in three different campaigns: 1984-85, 1985-86 and 1988-89. Eaton earned five All-Defensive nods throughout his career and finished in the Top 5 in the Defensive Player of the Year voting six times. During his 11 years with Utah, Eaton averaged 6.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and an impressive 3.5 blocks per game. Eaton averaged at least 3.5 blocks per game in six of his 11 seasons and was the blocks leader four times.
Andrei Kirileko – 1 time (2006)
Kirilenko was the best player for the Jazz after the golden era of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Although Kirilenko didn’t earn many individual accolades throughout his 13-year NBA career, he had one of his best seasons in 2005-06. He averaged 15.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.2 blocks and 1.5 steals per contest. That was the lone time he was named to the First Team All-Defense. He earned three All-Defense nods throughout his career. After leaving the Jazz at the end of the 2010-11 season, he played one season in Minnesota and two in Brooklyn before retiring at the end of the 2014-15 campaign.
E.C. Coleman – 1 time (1977)
Coleman played only six years in the NBA, spending three of those with the Jazz when they were based in New Orleans. Coleman’s calling card was his defense as a two-time All-Defense honoree (First team in 1977, 2nd team in 1978). His best all-around season came in 1977 when he averaged a career-high 8.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
