NBA Sportsmanship Award

                National Basketball Association awards and honors
Championship
 • O'Brien Trophy  • Brown Trophy (defunct)
Individual awards
 • All-Star Game MVP  • Most Improved Player
 • Bill Russell Finals MVP  • Most Valuable Player
 • Coach of the Year  • Rookie of the Year
 • Defensive Player of the Year  • Sixth Man of the Year
 • Executive of the Year  • Sportsmanship Award
 • J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
Honors
 • All-NBA Team  • All-Defensive Team
 • All-Rookie Team

The National Basketball Association's Sportsmanship Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1995–96 NBA season, to the player who most "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court—ethical behavior, fair play and integrity".[1] It is directly analogous to the Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, which has been awarded by the NBA's sister league, the WNBA, since that league's inception in 1997. Both the NBA and WNBA awards are nearly comparable to the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL), although unlike the NHL counterpart, neither award demands excellence of play.

Every year, each of the 30 NBA teams nominates one of its players to compete for this award. From these 30 nominees, six players, one from each NBA division, are selected by a panel as the divisional Sportsmanship Award winners. Finally at the end of the regular season, NBA players cast vote for this award, with eleven points given for each first-place vote, nine for second-place vote, seven points for third, five points for fourth, three points for fifth and one point for each sixth place vote received. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award. The winner of this award is presented with the Joe Dumars Trophy, named after the former Detroit Pistons player and the award's inaugural recipient.[1][2]

Since its inception, the award has been given to 13 different players. Three-time winner Grant Hill is the only person to have received this honor more than once.[3] Two teams have had multiple players winning the award: the San Antonio Spurs (three players) and the Seattle SuperSonics (two players). Joe Dumars and David Robinson are the only award winners to have been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame,[4] and Luol Deng is the only foreign NBA player to win the award.[5]

Winners

Grant Hill at a pre-game warm up
Grant Hill is the only three-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award.
Luol Deng chasing after a loose ball
Luol Deng is the only foreign NBA player to win the award, winning in the 2006–07 season.
* Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame
^ Denotes player who is still active
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player has received the award
Season Player Position Nationality Team References
1995–96 Dumars, JoeJoe Dumars* Guard  United States Detroit Pistons [2]
1996–97 Brandon, TerrellTerrell Brandon Guard  United States Cleveland Cavaliers [6]
1997–98 Johnson, AveryAvery Johnson Guard  United States San Antonio Spurs [7]
1998–99 Hawkins, HerseyHersey Hawkins Guard  United States Seattle SuperSonics [8]
1999–00 Snow, EricEric Snow Guard  United States Philadelphia 76ers [9]
2000–01 Robinson, DavidDavid Robinson* Center  United States San Antonio Spurs [10]
2001–02 Smith, SteveSteve Smith Guard  United States San Antonio Spurs [11]
2002–03 Allen, RayRay Allen^ Guard  United States Seattle SuperSonics [12]
2003–04 Brown, P. J.P. J. Brown Center/Forward  United States New Orleans Hornets [13]
2004–05 Hill, GrantGrant Hill^ Forward/Guard  United States Orlando Magic [3]
2005–06 Brand, EltonElton Brand^ Forward  United States Los Angeles Clippers [14]
2006–07 Deng, LuolLuol Deng^ Forward  United Kingdom[a] Chicago Bulls [1]
2007–08 Hill, GrantGrant Hill^ (2) Forward  United States Phoenix Suns [3]
2008–09 Billups, ChaunceyChauncey Billups^ Guard  United States Denver Nuggets [15]
2009–10 Hill, GrantGrant Hill^ (3) Forward  United States Phoenix Suns [3]

Notes

  • a Luol Deng was born in Sudan, but became a naturalized British citizen in 2006.[16]

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Chicago's Deng Wins 2006-07 NBA Sportsmanship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 3, 2007. http://www.nba.com/news/deng_sportsmanship_070503.html. Retrieved July 11, 2007. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Divisional Winners Announced for NBA Sportsmanship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/news/sportsmanship_080403.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Hill first-ever three-time NBA Sportsmanship Award winner". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 26, 2010. http://www.nba.com/2010/news/04/26/sportsmanship.hill/index.html. Retrieved April 26, 2010. 
  4. ↑ "Alphabetical Enshrinees into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame". Basketball Hall of Fame. http://hoophall.com/halloffamers/bhof-halloffamers-alpha.html. Retrieved April 28, 2009. 
  5. ↑ "NBA Players From Around The World: 2008-09 Season". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/players/int_players_0809.html. Retrieved April 28, 2009. 
  6. ↑ "Terrell Brandon Bio: 1996-97". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/terrell_brandon/bio.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  7. ↑ "Avery Johnson Bio: 1997-98". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/avery_johnson/bio.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  8. ↑ "Hersey Hawkins Bio: 1998-99". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hersey_hawkins/bio.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  9. ↑ "Eric Snow Bio: Personal". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/eric_snow/bio.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  10. ↑ "Admiral Lands Sportsmanship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 7, 2001. http://www.nba.com/news/sportsmanship_010507.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  11. ↑ "Spurs' Steve Smith Wins Sportsmanship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 12, 2002. http://www.nba.com/news/sportsmanship_020612.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  12. ↑ "Allen's message: Be true to yourself". ESPN.com. May 13, 2003. http://static.espn.go.com/nba/news/2003/0513/1553159.html. Retrieved March 8, 2009. 
  13. ↑ "Hornets’ Brown Wins Sportsmanship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 24, 2004. http://www.nba.com/news/brown_040424.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  14. ↑ "L.A. Clippers’ Elton Brand Wins NBA Sportsmanship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 1, 2006. http://www.nba.com/news/brand_sportsmanship_060430.html. Retrieved July 2, 2008. 
  15. ↑ "Nuggets' Billups named Sportsmanship Award winner". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 28, 2009. http://www.nba.com/2009/news/04/28/sportsman.award.billups.nba/index.html. Retrieved April 28, 2009. 
  16. ↑ "NBA star Deng ready for GB debut". BBC. October 18, 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/basketball/6064476.stm. Retrieved August 14, 2008. 
NBA Sportsmanship Award
1996: Dumars | 1997: Brandon | 1998: Johnson | 1999: Hawkins | 2000: Snow | 2001: Robinson | 2002: Smith | 2003: Allen | 2004: Brown | 2005: Hill | 2006: Brand | 2007: Deng | 2008: Hill | 2009: Billups | 2010: Hill