BAL Defensive Player of the Year

Annual Basketball Africa League award

Basketball Africa League awards and honours

Individual awards

* Most Valuable Player
* Coach of the Year
* Ubuntu Award

* Defensive Player of the Year
* Sportsmanship Award

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Honors

* All-BAL Teams

* All-Defensive Team

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BAL Dikembe Mutombo Defensive Player of the YearSport| Basketball

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League| Basketball Africa League
Awarded for| Best defensive player in the season of the Basketball Africa League
History
First award| 2021
Most wins| Aliou Diarra (2 times)
Most recent| Aliou Diarra (2025)

The Basketball Africa League Dikembe Mutombo Defensive Player of the Year is an annual Basketball Africa League (BAL) award given to the best defensive player of a given season. The award is named after Congolese basketball legend Dikembe Mutombo. The award was first handed out in the inaugural season to Anas Osama Mahmoud.[1]

Players of the four teams that qualified for the semifinals can be selected. The selection committee exists of a number of BAL experts, including the head coaches of all teams.

Aliou Diarra holds the record for most awards won, as he received the honour two times.[2] Jo Lual-Acuil, winner of the award in 2024, is the only player to win both the Defensive Player of the Year and the Most Valuable Player in the same season.[3]

## Winners

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Aliou Diarra has won two awards Season  | Player  | Position  | Nationality  | Club  | Ref

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2021 | Anas Mahmoud | Center |  Egypt  |  Zamalek | [1]
2022 | Ater Majok | Center |  South Sudan[a] |  US Monastir | [4]
2023 | Aliou Diarra | Center |  Mali  |  Stade Malien | [5]
2024 | Jo Lual-Acuil | Center |  South Sudan  |  Al Ahly Ly | [3]
2025 | Aliou Diarra (2)  | Center |  Mali  |  APR | [2]

## Notes

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1. ^ Majok owns the Australian and Lebanese nationality, but played as an African import in the BAL due to his South Sudanese heritage.

## References

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1. ^ a b "Zamalek are the champions of the inaugural Basketball Africa League". The BAL. 30 May 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2021. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
2. ^ a b "Diarra wins second BAL Defensive Player of the Year award". The BAL. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
3. ^ a b "Acuil-Jr. dominates 2024 BAL Awards". The BAL. 1 June 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
4. ^ "US Monastir are the 2022 Basketball Africa League Champions". The BAL. 28 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
5. ^ "DIARRA, OMOT, GUEYE, PERRY HIGHLIGHT 2023 BAL AWARDS". The BAL. 28 May 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.

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BAL Defensive Player of the Year

* 2021: Mahmoud
* 2022: Majok
* 2023: Diarra
* 2024: Lual-Acuil
* 2025: Diarra

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Basketball Africa League

Seasons|

* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025
* 2026

Qualifying rounds|

* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

Playoffs|

* 2021 (F)
* 2022 (F)
* 2023 (F)
* 2024 (F)
* 2025 (F)

Teams|

| 2024 season teams|

* Al Ahli Tripoli
* Al Ahly
* ASCVD
* APR
* FUS Rabat
* Kriol Star
* Nairobi City Thunder
* Petro de Luanda
* Stade Malien
* Rivers Hoopers
* US Monastir

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Former teams|

* ABC Fighters
* Al Ahly Benghazi
* AS Douanes
* AS Police
* AS Salé
* Bangui Sporting Club
* Cape Town Tigers
* City Oilers
* Cobra Sport
* DUC
* Dynamo
* Espoir Fukash
* FAP
* Ferroviário da Beira
* Ferroviário de Maputo
* GS Pétroliers
* GNBC
* Kwara Falcons
* Patriots
* REG
* SLAC
* Zamalek

Arenas|

* BK Arena
* Dakar Arena
* Hassan Moustafa Sports Hall
* Salle Moulay Abdellah
* SunBet Arena

Competition stages|

* Road to BAL
* Sahara Conference
* Nile Conference
* Kalahari Conference
* Finals

Awards|

* Most Valuable Player
* All-BAL Team
* All-Defensive Team
* Defensive Player of the Year
* Sportsmanship Award
* Ubuntu Award

Records and statistics|

* Records list (Single-game points record)
* Annual statistical leaders

Associated|

* NBA
* FIBA
* FIBA Africa
* FIBA Africa Basketball League (Defunct)

* Category

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