The playmaker becomes the first Bayern player to earn this honor
Nick Weiler-Babb is named the 2024-25 EuroLeague Best Defender
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FC Bayern Munich's Nick Weiler-Babb has been named the recipient of the 2024–25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Best Defender Trophy, recognizing his exceptional defensive performance throughout the season. The award, voted on by head coaches from across the EuroLeague, honors the player deemed to have had the greatest impact on the defensive end of the court. Weiler-Babb's relentless energy, versatility, and lockdown perimeter defense have been his calling cards and helped Bayern advance to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
Now in his fifth EuroLeague season - all of which have come with Bayern, Weiler-Babb has built a reputation as a defensive anchor and vocal leader. Throughout the 2024–25 campaign, he consistently drew the toughest assignments, often neutralizing the opposing team's top perimeter threats. His ability to guard multiple positions, combined with elite anticipation and physicality, made him a game-changer for Bayern’s defensive schemes.
Weiler-Babb collected more steals than any other player this season – 52 and counting – for a league-best 1.6 average. He accounted for 22.4% of all of Bayern's steals, while leading all guards in rebounds with 4.2 per night during the regular season.
The Best Defender Trophy is one of several awards that recognize the elite play of the best players in the EuroLeague at the end of the regular season. The first of this season's honorees was Kendrick Nunn of Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens as the winner of the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy. Nadir Hifi of Paris Basketball was chosen as the EuroLeague Rising Star, another award voted upon by the head coaches. The Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year, All-EuroLeague teams and EuroLeague MVP will be revealed in the coming days.
Walter Tavares of Real Madrid finished second behind Weiler-Babb in the voting for the Best Defender Trophy, followed by Alpha Diallo of AS Monaco, Jerian Grant of Panathinaikos and last season's winner Thomas Walkup of Olympiacos, in fifth place. Others who received votes were Joel Bolomboy of Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade, Arnas Butkevicius of Zalgiris Kaunas, Alessandro Pajola of Virtus Segafredo Bologna and Andre Roberson of LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.
Weiler-Babb is the 10th different recipient of the EuroLeague Best Defender trophy and the first Bayern player to win it. Dimitris Diamantidis of Panathinaikos Athens won the award six times (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011). Tavares is a three-time winner, taking home the award in 2019, 2021 and 2023, as is Kyle Hines who claimed the award in 2015 and 2018 with CSKA Moscow and then in 2022 with EA7 Emporio Armani Milan. Bryant Dunston won it with Olympiacos in 2014 and 2015. In addition to Walkup, who won it last season, the other Best Defender honorees include CSKA players Victor Khryapa and Andrei Kirilenko, in 2010 and 2012, respectively; Stephane Lasme in 2013 with Panathinaikos; and Adam Hanga in 2017 with Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.