Cleveland Cavaliers forward-center Evan Mobley is the recipient of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy as the 2024-25 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year. A four-year NBA veteran, Mobley has been named the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the first time. The 7-footer is the first player to earn the honor with the Cavaliers.

NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, the league announced Thursday. Mobley is the first Cleveland Cavalier to win the award and, at 23, is the second-youngest player ever to win it, trailing only Dwight Howard,

F rom the opening tip of the season, Evan Mobley was the best defender on a Cavaliers team that had the eighth-best defense in the league — and a 108.6 defensive rating when he