Michael Jordan leads the Chicago Bulls franchise in all-time All-Defensive First Team appearances.
Making an All-NBA Defensive Team is an incredible individual accomplishment, especially when considering only five players are awarded with that honor each year. This list puts a spotlight on the Bulls who have earned First Team selections throughout Chicago’s 60 seasons.
Michael Jordan – 1988-1993, 1996-1998
In addition to leading the league in scoring 10 times over the course of his 15-year career, Jordan made nine All-Defensive First Teams and was a three-time steals champ. Jordan averaged at least 2.1 steals per game through each of his first nine years as a pro, and he swatted at least one shot a night on four different occasions, giving him career averages of 2.3 spg and 0.8 bpg.
In 1987-88, Jordan paced the NBA in scoring (35.0) and steals (career-high 3.2) to earn All-Star, All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team selections while being named league MVP and the Defensive Player of the Year at age-24. He also received Kia DPOY votes nine times, finishing top-five in the race in six of those campaigns.
Scottie Pippen – 1992 – 1998
Pippen earned seven consecutive All-Defensive First Team honors from 1992 to 1998. Over that span, he averaged 20.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 2.2 steals and 0.9 blocks per game across 517 regular-season appearances. He led the NBA in steals at 2.9 a night in 1994-95, when he tallied at least one swipe in all but three of his 79 outings that year, and had 16 games of five or more.
Pippen finished top-10 in Kia DPOY voting on seven occasions throughout his 12 years in Chicago, placing second in back-to-back seasons in 1995 and 1996. He owns three of the top ten single season steals totals in Bulls franchise history, with the 232 he amassed in ‘94-95 the fourth most all time.
Jerry Sloan – 1969, 1972, 1974-1975
Before his legendary, Hall of Fame coaching career, Sloan made a living as a tough-nosed defender with the Bulls from 1966 to 1976. He was a two-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive member, making four First Team appearances during that span. Despite steals not being counted as an official stat until the 1973-74 campaign, Sloan finished with a career average of 2.2 steals per game, tallying 2.4 spg in 1974 and 2.2 spg in 1975. Sloan put up 14.0 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.5 apg and 2.2 spg in 755 contests over the course of his 11-year career.
Norm Van Lier – 1974, 1976-1977
Van Lier spent two and a half years with the Cincinnati Royals before being traded to the Bulls midway through the 1971-72 campaign. He racked up three straight Second Team All-Defensive awards from 1971 to 1973, earning his first All-Defensive First Team selection and his lone All-NBA (Second Team) honor for his efforts in 1974. Van Lier averaged 2.0 steals per game for three consecutive seasons (‘74-76), then swiped at least 1.1 spg in each of his final three years in the NBA. In his ten seasons as a pro, he was a three-time All-Star and eight-time All-Defensive member.
Joakim Noah – 2013, 2014
Noah enjoyed an impressive nine-year run in Chicago from 2007 to 2016, compiling averages of 9.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.4 blocks a night over 572 appearances. He earned back-to-back All-Defensive First Team honors and All-Star nods in 2013 and 2014, additionally being named to his lone All-NBA First Team while winning the Kia DPOY trophy in 2014. Noah received DPOY votes on five different occasions and MVP votes twice, finishing fourth in 2013-14 after averaging a career-high 12.6 ppg, 11.3 rpg and 5.4 apg with 1.2 spg and 1.5 bpg across 80 contests.
Dennis Rodman – 1996
Rodman won several defensive accolades during his 14-year career, including two Kia DPOY trophies and eight All-Defensive selections. In three seasons with the Bulls, he led the NBA in rebounding each year and finished top-seven in DPOY voting in 1996 and 1998. In 1995-96, Rodman averaged 5.5 points, 14.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.6 steals a night, marking five straight years in which he paced the league in offensive, defensive, and total rebounding.
Alex Caruso – 2023
Caruso has established himself as one of the most versatile and rugged defenders in today’s NBA. Each of his two career All-Defensive selections came during his time in Chicago (2021-2024), earning First Team honors in 2022-23 when he averaged 5.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per game across 67 outings (36 starts). Caruso finished 11th in the Kia DPOY vote and led the league in steal percentage at 3.0%.
