Draymond Green has been an NBA All-Defensive Team selection nine times in his career. That’s good enough to cement him as the best defender of all time in his own mind.
Green was asked by a fan to name his personal top five defenders of all time during the latest edition of his “Draymond Green Show.” The Golden State Warriors forward was quick to identify himself at the top of the list.
“What you should understand about me is that I think I’m No. 1 on that list,” Green said. “Top five to go in order? I’m not a fan of those. But who I would regard as top five? I’d definitely put myself on that list.”
Green, who won Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and finished third this season, then expanded on who would take up the other spots on his list, but with caveats. He specified that all-time greats like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain wouldn’t make his cut, but only because he had not seen enough of their games to pass the “eye test” of personally experiencing their greatness.
“Ben Wallace is on that list,” Green said. “In my opinion, Tony Allen is on that list. Tim Duncan is on that list. … My fifth would go to … Hakeem Olajuwon. That would be my top five. My top five in no particular order is myself, Ben Wallace, Tony Allen, Tim Duncan and Hakeem Olajuwon.”
Even considering only his contemporaries or players he had watched live, there are some players left off Green’s list that may be seen as omissions by many.
That said, you could put together a worse group of five defensive players, though Green might not be your No. 1 selection.
