PORTLAND’S DAMIAN LILLARD WINS
2020-21 TWYMAN-STOKES TEAMMATE OF THE YEAR AWARD
NEW YORK, June 3, 2021 – NBA players have selected Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard as the recipient of the 2020-21 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.
Presented annually since the 2012-13 season, the award recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.
A panel of league executives selected 12 nominees (six from each conference) for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. Current NBA players selected the winner from the list of 12 nominees, with more than 300 players submitting their votes through confidential balloting conducted by the league office.
In addition to Lillard, the nominees were Indiana Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon, Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris, Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris, Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem, Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles, Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, Dallas Mavericks center Boban Marjanović, Denver Nuggets forward Paul Millsap, Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul, New York Knicks guard Theo Pinson and Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns.
Lillard received 40 of 303 first-place votes and earned 1,012 total points in balloting of NBA players. Paul finished in second place with 1,001 points. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.
A nine-year NBA veteran, Lillard averaged 28.8 points, 7.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 67 games this season. The 6-2 guard was selected as an NBA All-Star for the fourth consecutive season and the sixth time overall. He helped lead the Trail Blazers to their eighth straight playoff appearance, the longest active streak in the NBA.
Lillard, 30, has played his entire NBA career with the Trail Blazers, who selected him with the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. This season, Lillard received the April NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente for his continued efforts to empower young people across Portland, marking the third time he has earned the monthly Community Assist Award. Two years ago, Lillard won the 2018-19 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, as administered and selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association, for his outstanding service and dedication to the community.
The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award is named for Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes, whose storied friendship transcended their Hall of Fame accomplishments. Twyman and Stokes were teammates on the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals from 1955-58. In the last game of the 1957-58 regular season, Stokes sustained an injury that led to his falling into a coma days later and becoming permanently paralyzed. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic encephalopathy, a brain injury that damaged his motor-control center. Stokes was supported for the rest of his life by Twyman, who became his legal guardian and advocate.
Twyman helped organize the NBA’s Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game, which raised funds for Stokes’ medical care and, after Stokes’ death in 1970 at age 36, for other players in need. In 2004, after years of lobbying by Twyman, Stokes was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Twyman, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983, died in 2012.
Below are voting totals for the 2020-21 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award and the list of all-time winners.
VOTING RESULTS: 2020-21 TWYMAN-STOKES TEAMMATE OF THE YEAR AWARD | |||||||||||||
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Player (Team) | 1st Place Votes (10 Points) | 2nd Place Votes (7 Points) | 3rd Place Votes (5 Points) | 4th Place Votes (3 Points) | 5th Place Votes (1 Point) | Total Points | |||||||
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Damian Lillard (Portland) | 40 | 32 | 47 | 37 | 42 | 1,012 | |||||||
Chris Paul (Phoenix) | 47 | 32 | 48 | 19 | 10 | 1,001 | |||||||
Udonis Haslem (Miami) | 35 | 39 | 30 | 32 | 24 | 893 | |||||||
Kyle Lowry (Toronto) | 30 | 37 | 35 | 32 | 26 | 856 | |||||||
Boban Marjanović (Dallas) | 30 | 34 | 21 | 23 | 34 | 746 | |||||||
Tobias Harris (Philadelphia) | 19 | 22 | 25 | 29 | 40 | 596 | |||||||
Malcolm Brogdon (Indiana) | 25 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 34 | 532 | |||||||
Theo Pinson (New York) | 22 | 18 | 21 | 17 | 20 | 522 | |||||||
Paul Millsap (Denver) | 28 | 10 | 11 | 22 | 23 | 494 | |||||||
Joe Ingles (Utah) | 8 | 19 | 27 | 38 | 12 | 474 | |||||||
Joe Harris (Brooklyn) | 12 | 26 | 17 | 20 | 19 | 466 | |||||||
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) | 7 | 19 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 286 | |||||||
TWYMAN-STOKES TEAMMATE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS | |||||
2012-13 – Chauncey Billups, LA Clippers 2013-14 – Shane Battier, Miami 2014-15 – Tim Duncan, San Antonio |
2015-16 – Vince Carter, Memphis 2016-17 – Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas 2017-18 – Jamal Crawford, Minnesota |
2018-19 – Mike Conley, Memphis 2019-20 – Jrue Holiday, New Orleans 2020-21 – Damian Lillard, Portland | |||
ABOUT JACK TWYMAN: A Pittsburgh native and collegiate standout at the University of Cincinnati, Twyman earned six NBA All-Star Game selections and two All-NBA Second Team honors in 11 seasons, all spent with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals. Twyman was runner-up in the scoring race twice, including in 1959-60, when he finished with 2,338 points and averaged a career-high 31.2 points. He retired in 1966 with career averages of 19.2 points and 6.6 rebounds. After his playing career, he worked as a television analyst on NBA games.
ABOUT MAURICE STOKES: A Pittsburgh native like Twyman, Stokes was one of the first Black players to star at the collegiate and professional levels. At 6-7, 250 pounds, he possessed the talent and athleticism to play every position on the court. He led St. Francis (Pa.) University to the Final Four of the 1955 National Invitation Tournament before embarking on his NBA career with the Rochester Royals. Stokes won the 1955-56 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and earned All-Star selections in each of his three NBA seasons before sustaining his career-ending injury.
MILWAUKEE’S JRUE HOLIDAY WINS 2020-21 NBA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
NEW YORK, June 4, 2021 – Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has received the Joe Dumars Trophy as the winner of the 2020-21 NBA Sportsmanship Award, the NBA announced today. The annual award is designed to honor a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court.
Each NBA team nominated one of its players for the NBA Sportsmanship Award. From the list of 30 team nominees, a panel of league executives selected one finalist from each of the NBA’s six divisions. Current NBA players selected the winner from the list of six finalists, with nearly 350 players submitting their votes through confidential balloting conducted by the league office.
In addition to Holiday (Central Division), the finalists were Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (Southeast), Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes (Pacific), Minnesota Timberwolves guard Josh Okogie (Northwest), Boston Celtics guard Kemba Walker (Atlantic) and San Antonio Spurs guard Derrick White (Southwest).
Holiday received 130 of 343 first-place votes and earned 2,752 total points in balloting of NBA players. Walker, a two-time winner of the NBA Sportsmanship Award, finished in second place with 2,474 points. The six finalists were awarded 11 points for each first-place vote, nine points for each second-place vote, seven points for each third-place vote, five points for each fourth-place vote, three points for each fifth-place vote and one point for each sixth-place vote.
A 12-year NBA veteran, Holiday has won the NBA Sportsmanship Award for the first time. Last season, he won the 2019-20 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award in recognition of his selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.
Holiday, 30, was selected as an NBA All-Star in the 2012-13 season and named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2017-18 and 2018-19. This season, he averaged 17.7 points, 6.1 assists and 4.5 rebounds in 59 games for the Bucks, who acquired him from the New Orleans Pelicans as part of a four-team trade on Nov. 24, 2020. Holiday was a co-winner, along with Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Richardson, of the January NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of his efforts to provide support for those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The NBA Sportsmanship Award is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, a six-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion. Dumars played 14 NBA seasons and won the inaugural Sportsmanship Award in the 1995-96 season.
Below are the voting totals for the 2020-21 NBA Sportsmanship Award and the all-time list of winners.
VOTING RESULTS: 2020-21 NBA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD | |||||||||||||||
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Player (Team) | 1st Place Votes (11 Points) | 2nd Place Votes (9 Points) | 3rd Place Votes (7 Points) | 4th Place Votes (5 Points) | 5th Place Votes (3 Points) | 6th Place Votes (1 Point) | Total | ||||||||
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Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee) | 130 | 71 | 56 | 38 | 26 | 23 | 2,752 | ||||||||
Kemba Walker (Boston) | 74 | 89 | 67 | 46 | 47 | 19 | 2,474 | ||||||||
Bam Adebayo (Miami) | 48 | 73 | 76 | 63 | 42 | 41 | 2,199 | ||||||||
Harrison Barnes (Sacramento) | 49 | 49 | 62 | 62 | 81 | 41 | 2,008 | ||||||||
Derrick White (San Antonio) | 31 | 21 | 54 | 79 | 88 | 68 | 1,635 | ||||||||
Josh Okogie (Minnesota) | 11 | 40 | 28 | 55 | 59 | 151 | 1,280 | ||||||||
NBA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD WINNERS | |||||
1995-96 – Joe Dumars, Detroit 1996-97 – Terrell Brandon, Cleveland 1997-98 – Avery Johnson, San Antonio 1998-99 – Hersey Hawkins, Seattle 1999-00 – Eric Snow, Philadelphia 2000-01 – David Robinson, San Antonio 2001-02 – Steve Smith, San Antonio 2002-03 – Ray Allen, Seattle 2003-04 – P.J. Brown, New Orleans |
2004-05 – Grant Hill, Orlando 2005-06 – Elton Brand, LA Clippers 2006-07 – Luol Deng, Chicago 2007-08 – Grant Hill, Phoenix 2008-09 – Chauncey Billups, Denver 2009-10 – Grant Hill, Phoenix 2010-11 – Stephen Curry, Golden State 2011-12 – Jason Kidd, Dallas 2012-13 – Jason Kidd, New York |
2013-14 – Mike Conley, Memphis 2014-15 – Kyle Korver, Atlanta 2015-16 – Mike Conley, Memphis 2016-17 – Kemba Walker, Charlotte 2017-18 – Kemba Walker, Charlotte 2018-19 – Mike Conley, Memphis 2019-20 – Vince Carter, Atlanta 2020-21 – Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee | |||
PHOENIX’S DEVIN BOOKER RECEIVES MAY NBA CARES COMMUNITY ASSIST AWARD PRESENTED BY KAISER PERMANENTE
– NBA and Kaiser Permanente to Donate $10,000 to Special Olympics Arizona –
NEW YORK, June 7, 2021 – Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker has received the May NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente in recognition of his continued commitment to support youth and families throughout the greater Phoenix area, the NBA today announced. Each month the award recognizes a player who best reflects the passion that the league and NBA players share for giving back to their communities.
In May, Booker surprised five local nonprofit organizations at a Suns home game where he announced via an in-game, pre-recorded address that they were the 2020-21 class of the Devin Booker Starting Five initiative. Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries and Elevate Phoenix each received a $100,000 grant from Booker to help address critical funding needs following the pandemic and support their respective efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families. To further celebrate and benefit the 2020-21 class, Booker and Phoenix Suns Charities created a limited-edition Devin Booker Starting Five hoodie commemorating the selected nonprofits. Designed by Booker, the first-of-their-kind hoodies were available for purchase for a limited time with all proceeds benefiting Phoenix Suns Charities.
The five organizations are the second class of the Devin Booker Starting Five, which donates $500,000 annually to five different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona, a total of $2.5 million over the course of five years. The first class — Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers and Ability 360— received their $100,000 grants in late 2019. In addition to his Starting Five initiative, Booker has provided significant support to youth and families across the Valley through COVID-19 relief and holiday shopping sprees. He is also a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, actively promoting inclusion through sport.
“From the beginning of my career, it has been important for me to be involved with the Suns organization and the community in Phoenix,” said Booker. “All five of these organizations better the lives of the youth by giving them opportunities they need to succeed. I want to thank the organizations for allowing me the opportunity to help advance all of the work they’re doing in our community.”
In honor of Booker’s efforts, Kaiser Permanente and the NBA will donate $10,000 on his behalf to Special Olympics of Arizona to support the basketball team representing Arizona at the 2022 USA Games.
On June 8, the NBA will tip off voting for the 2020-21 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, an annual honor for a player who has demonstrated a continued commitment to their community over the course of the season. The seasonlong winner will be selected from a group of 10 candidates – the off-season award winner, six monthly winners and three additional identified players – and determined by an NBA executive panel and fan vote. This season, fans will be able to vote using Twitter and Jebbit, a mobile platform specializing in data collection, for a period of 12 days from Tuesday, June 8 through Saturday, June 19. Additional details regarding the nominees and voting process will be announced in the coming days. To learn more about the NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, please visit http://www.nba.com/
NEW YORK’S TOM THIBODEAU WINS
2020-21 NBA COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD
– In First Season as Knicks Head Coach, Thibodeau Named Coach of the Year for Second Time –
NEW YORK, June 7, 2021 – New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau is the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year, the NBA announced today.
This is the second NBA Coach of the Year Award for Thibodeau, who earned the honor in the 2010-11 season with the Chicago Bulls in his first season as an NBA head coach. Now honored in his first season as the Knicks’ head coach, Thibodeau has become the first person to be named NBA Coach of the Year in his first season as head coach with two different franchises. (Cotton Fitzsimmons won the award in his first season as the Kansas City Kings’ head coach, 1978-79, and again in the first season of his second tenure as the Phoenix Suns’ head coach, 1988-89.)
Thibodeau received 43 first-place votes and earned 351 total points to edge Phoenix head coach Monty Williams, who finished in second place with 340 points (45 first-place votes). The 11-point difference between the first- and second-place finishers marks the smallest margin since the current NBA Coach of the Year voting format was introduced in the 2002-03 season.
Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder finished in third place with 161 points (10 first-place votes). Coaches were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.
With Thibodeau as head coach, New York finished tied for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference (41-31) and made the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. The Knicks won 16 of their final 20 games to complete a turnaround from last season’s overall record of 21-45.
Thibodeau led New York to an 11-4 record in April for its winningest month since March 2014 (11-5). He was selected as the NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for May after guiding the Knicks to a 6-3 record in the final month of the regular season.
The Knicks showed dramatic improvement on defense with Thibodeau at the helm, leading the NBA in points allowed (104.7) and opponents’ field goal percentage (44.0) and ranking fourth in defensive rating (107.8). Last season, New York finished 17th or lower in all three categories.
Under Thibodeau, Julius Randle was named an NBA All-Star for the first time and won the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award. In addition, Derrick Rose was a finalist for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Sixth Man Award, 2021 NBA Rising Stars selection RJ Barrett ranked as the fourth-leading scorer among second-year NBA players (17.6 ppg), and rookie Immanuel Quickley averaged 11.4 points after being selected by New York with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
Thibodeau is the 10th head coach to win the NBA Coach of the Year Award more than once and the eighth to do it with multiple franchises. In addition, he is the third head coach to be selected as NBA Coach of the Year with the Knicks, joining Red Holzman (1969-70) and Pat Riley (1992-93).
New York hired Thibodeau as its head coach on July 30, 2020. He has a career regular-season record of 393-277 (.587) in nine seasons as an NBA head coach, guiding teams to the playoffs seven times. Before joining the Knicks, he served as head coach of the Bulls for five seasons (2010-15) and the Minnesota Timberwolves over three seasons (2016-19).
The NBA Coach of the Year Award trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Red Auerbach. The legendary head coach guided the Celtics to nine NBA championships, including eight in a row from 1959-66.
The voting results for the 2020-21 NBA Coach of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.
VOTING RESULTS: 2020-21 NBA COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD | |||||||||
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Coach (Team) | 1st Place Votes (5 Points) | 2nd Place Votes (3 Points) | 3rd Place Votes (1 Point) | Total Points | |||||
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Tom Thibodeau (New York) | 43 | 42 | 10 | 351 | |||||
Monty Williams (Phoenix) | 45 | 32 | 19 | 340 | |||||
Quin Snyder (Utah) | 10 | 23 | 42 | 161 | |||||
Doc Rivers (Philadelphia) | 2 | 2 | 8 | 24 | |||||
Nate McMillan (Atlanta) | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 | |||||
Steve Nash (Brooklyn) | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | |||||
Michael Malone (Denver) | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | |||||
Below is the list of winners of the NBA Coach of the Year Award.
NBA COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS | |||||
1962-63 – Harry Gallatin, St. Louis |
1982-83 – Don Nelson, Milwaukee 1990-91 – Don Chaney, Houston 1992-93 – Pat Riley, New York |
2002-03 – Gregg Popovich, San Antonio 2003-04 – Hubie Brown, Memphis 2004-05 – Mike D’Antoni, Phoenix 2005-06 – Avery Johnson, Dallas 2006-07 – Sam Mitchell, Toronto 2007-08 – Byron Scott, New Orleans 2008-09 – Mike Brown, Cleveland 2009-10 – Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City 2010-11 – Tom Thibodeau, Chicago 2011-12 – Gregg Popovich, San Antonio 2012-13 – George Karl, Denver 2014-15 – Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta 2015-16 – Steve Kerr, Golden State 2016-17 – Mike D’Antoni, Houston 2017-18 – Dwane Casey, Toronto 2018-19 – Mike Budenholzer, Milwaukee 2019-20 – Nick Nurse, Toronto 2020-21 – Tom Thibodeau, New York
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FAN VOTING FOR 2020-21 SEASONLONG NBA CARES COMMUNITY ASSIST AWARD PRESENTED BY KAISER PERMANENTE TIPS OFF TODAY
– 10 Players Nominated for Global Commitment to COVID-19 Relief, Social Justice, Youth Development and More –
– Winner to Receive $25,000 Donation to Nonprofit of Choice –
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 – Fan voting for the 2020-21 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente will begin today on social media at noon ET and conclude on Saturday, June 19 at 11:59 p.m. ET, the NBA today announced. Selected by fans and an NBA executive panel, the seasonlong winner will be announced during the postseason.
The seasonlong award honors a player’s continued commitment to positively impact his community through sustained efforts and difference-making work over the course of the season. The winner will receive the award during a virtual presentation with team, league and Kaiser Permanente officials, and a $25,000 donation from the NBA and Kaiser Permanente will be made on his behalf to an organization of his choosing.
Fans can now vote for their preferred seasonlong award nominee via Jebbit, a mobile platform specializing in data collection, where they can view and select videos highlighting each player’s impact. They are also able to vote on Twitter by using #NBACommunityAssist and a player’s handle or #PlayerFirstNameLastName (e.g., #DavidRobinson). Votes cast via Jebbit then reposted on Twitter will count as two separate votes and retweets will also be counted.
The 10 nominees include the offseason winner, six monthly winners and three additional players selected by the NBA for their exceptional community work. The NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente recognizes an NBA player each month who best reflects the passion that the league and its players share for giving back to their communities, and honors the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece. The 2020-21 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award nominees are listed below with links to video highlighting their respective efforts:
Name | Team | Video |
DeAndre’ Bembry | Toronto Raptors | |
Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | |
Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | |
Jrue Holiday | Milwaukee Bucks | |
Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | |
Patty Mills | San Antonio Spurs | |
Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz | |
Larry Nance Jr. | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
Josh Richardson | Dallas Mavericks | |
Russell Westbrook | Washington Wizards |
To learn more about the NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, please visit http://www.nba.com/
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About Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.2 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. about.kp.org.
DENVER’S NIKOLA JOKIĆ WINS
2020-21 KIA NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD
– Serbian Center Becomes First Player Named NBA MVP With Nuggets –
NEW YORK, June 8, 2021 – Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić is the recipient of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, the NBA announced today.
With the first Kia NBA MVP Award of his career, Jokić becomes the first player to earn the honor as a member of the Nuggets. He is also the first player from Serbia to be selected as the NBA MVP and joins Dirk Nowitzki (Germany) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) as MVP winners from Europe.
A second-round pick selected 41st overall by Denver in the 2014 NBA Draft, Jokić is the lowest-drafted player to be named NBA MVP with the exception of three-time MVP Moses Malone, who was not selected in the NBA Draft. The previous lowest-drafted players to win the award were two-time MVPs Antetokounmpo and Steve Nash, both selected with the 15th overall pick in their respective drafts.
Jokić received 91 first-place votes and earned 971 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters as well as the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award fan vote, making for 101 ballots. Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (586 points) finished in second place, followed by Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (453 points) in third place, Milwaukee Bucks forward Antetokounmpo (348 points) in fourth place and Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul (139 points) in fifth place.
Players received 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote and one point for each fifth-place vote.
In his sixth NBA season, Jokić played all 72 games and averaged a career-high 26.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, a career-high 8.4 assists and 1.32 steals in 34.8 minutes. With his season averages, Jokić ranked 12th in the NBA in points, ninth in rebounds, sixth in assists and 22nd in steals. He is the third player in NBA history to average at least 26.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists in a season, joining Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.
Jokić made an NBA-leading 732 field goals and shot 56.6 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from three-point range and a career-high 86.8 percent from the free throw line. He led the NBA in double-doubles with 60 and ranked second in triple-doubles with 16. Jokić set single-game career highs in points with 50 (vs. the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 6); rebounds with 22 (vs. the Suns on Jan. 23); assists with 18 (vs. the Rockets on Dec. 28); and steals with seven (vs. the Brooklyn Nets on Jan. 12).
Behind Jokić, Denver posted a 47-25 record and earned the third seed in the Western Conference for the 2021 NBA Playoffs. The Nuggets finished with the fifth-highest single-season winning percentage in franchise history (.653).
An NBA All-Star selection for the third consecutive season, Jokić was named the Kia NBA Western Conference Player of the Month twice (December/January and March) and the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week three times (Weeks 5, 6 and 13).
Jokić, 26, has played all six of his NBA seasons with Denver, averaging 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 453 career games. This season, he broke the franchise records for career double-doubles and triple-doubles. He also became the first Nuggets player to start an NBA All-Star Game since 2011.
For the 12th consecutive season, the NBA and Kia America gave fans the opportunity to vote for the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award. The fan vote, conducted online and through Twitter, counted as one vote toward determining the winner.
The Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award trophy is named in honor of Maurice Podoloff, who served as the NBA’s first commissioner from 1946 until his retirement in 1963. Podoloff was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974.
The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.
VOTING RESULTS: 2020-21 KIA NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD | |||||||||||||
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Player (Team) | 1st Place Votes (10 Points) | 2nd Place Votes (7 Points) | 3rd Place Votes (5 Points) | 4th Place Votes (3 Points) | 5th Place Votes (1 Point) | Total Points | |||||||
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Nikola Jokić (Denver) | 91 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 971 | |||||||
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | 1 | 62 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 586 | |||||||
Stephen Curry (Golden State) | 5 | 23 | 32 | 23 | 13 | 453 | |||||||
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) | 1 | 5 | 34 | 41 | 10 | 348 | |||||||
Chris Paul (Phoenix) | 2 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 26 | 139 | |||||||
Luka Dončić (Dallas) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 42 | |||||||
Damian Lillard (Portland) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 38 | |||||||
Julius Randle (New York) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 20 | |||||||
Derrick Rose (New York) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |||||||
Rudy Gobert (Utah) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 | |||||||
Russell Westbrook (Washington) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |||||||
Ben Simmons (Philadelphia) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |||||||
James Harden (Brooklyn) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||||
Below is the list of winners of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award.
KIA NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER WINNERS | |||||
1955-56 – Bob Pettit, St. Louis 1956-57 – Bob Cousy, Boston 1957-58 – Bill Russell, Boston 1958-59 – Bob Pettit, St. Louis 1959-60 – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 1960-61 – Bill Russell, Boston 1961-62 – Bill Russell, Boston 1962-63 – Bill Russell, Boston 1963-64 – Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati 1964-65 – Bill Russell, Boston 1965-66 – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 1966-67 – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 1967-68 – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 1968-69 – Wes Unseld, Baltimore 1969-70 – Willis Reed, New York 1970-71 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee 1971-72 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee 1972-73 – Dave Cowens, Boston 1973-74 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee 1974-75 – Bob McAdoo, Buffalo 1975-76 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers 1976-77 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers
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1977-78 – Bill Walton, Portland 1978-79 – Moses Malone, Houston 1979-80 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers 1980-81 – Julius Erving, Philadelphia 1981-82 – Moses Malone, Houston 1982-83 – Moses Malone, Philadelphia 1983-84 – Larry Bird, Boston 1984-85 – Larry Bird, Boston 1985-86 – Larry Bird, Boston 1986-87 – Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers 1987-88 – Michael Jordan, Chicago 1988-89 – Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers 1989-90 – Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers 1990-91 – Michael Jordan, Chicago 1991-92 – Michael Jordan, Chicago 1992-93 – Charles Barkley, Phoenix 1993-94 – Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston 1994-95 – David Robinson, San Antonio 1995-96 – Michael Jordan, Chicago 1996-97 – Karl Malone, Utah 1997-98 – Michael Jordan, Chicago 1998-99 – Karl Malone, Utah |
1999-00 – Shaquille O’Neal, L.A. Lakers 2000-01 – Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 2001-02 – Tim Duncan, San Antonio 2002-03 – Tim Duncan, San Antonio 2003-04 – Kevin Garnett, Minnesota 2004-05 – Steve Nash, Phoenix 2005-06 – Steve Nash, Phoenix 2006-07 – Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas 2007-08 – Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers 2008-09 – LeBron James, Cleveland 2009-10 – LeBron James, Cleveland 2010-11 – Derrick Rose, Chicago 2011-12 – LeBron James, Miami 2012-13 – LeBron James, Miami 2013-14 – Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City 2014-15 – Stephen Curry, Golden State 2015-16 – Stephen Curry, Golden State 2016-17 – Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City 2017-18 – James Harden, Houston 2018-19 – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee 2019-20 – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee 2020-21 – Nikola Jokić, Denver
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About Kia America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of more than 750 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America.*
For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/
*The Telluride, Sorento and K5 are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
# # #
UTAH’S RUDY GOBERT WINS
2020-21 KIA NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
– French Center Becomes Fourth Player to Earn Honor Three or More Times –
NEW YORK, June 9, 2021 – Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert has been named the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the NBA announced today.
This marks the third NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for Gobert, who also earned the honor in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. The 7-1 French native is the fourth player to win the award at least three times, joining Dikembe Mutombo (four), Ben Wallace (four) and Dwight Howard (three).
Gobert received 84 first-place votes and earned 464 points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons finished in second place with 287 points (15 first-place votes). Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, the 2016-17 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, finished in third place with 76 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
In his eighth NBA season, Gobert led the league in defensive rebounds per game (10.1), total defensive rebounds (720) and total blocked shots (190) and ranked second in blocked shots per game (2.70). He recorded six games with least 15 defensive rebounds and eight games with five or more blocks. Gobert grabbed a season-high 20 defensive rebounds against the Warriors on March 14 and blocked a career-high nine shots against the Chicago Bulls on March 22.
According to NBA Advanced Stats, Gobert ranked second in the NBA in defensive win shares, which measures a player’s defensive impact on winning. He defended the most field goal attempts at the rim in the NBA (549) and held opponents to 50.1 percent shooting on those shots, the third-lowest mark among the 27 players who defended at least 300 shots at the rim this season.
Behind Gobert, Utah finished third in the NBA in defensive rating (107.5) and second in opponents’ field goal percentage (44.7). The strong defense helped propel the Jazz to a league-leading 52-20 record and the top seed in the Western Conference for the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Selected as an NBA All-Star for the second time, Gobert averaged 14.3 points and 13.5 rebounds in 71 games this season. Gobert led the NBA in total rebounds (960) and ranked second in rebounds per game. He also shot an NBA-high 67.5 percent from the field, leading the league in that category for the second time in the last three seasons.
Gobert, the 27th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, has career averages of 12.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.24 blocks in 545 games, all with the Jazz. He was voted to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in each of the previous four seasons.
The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.
VOTING RESULTS: 2020-21 KIA NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD | |||||||||
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Player (Team) | 1st Place Votes (5 Points) | 2nd Place Votes (3 Points) | 3rd Place Votes (1 Point) | Total Points | |||||
| |||||||||
Rudy Gobert (Utah) | 84 | 14 | 2 | 464 | |||||
Ben Simmons (Philadelphia) | 15 | 67 | 11 | 287 | |||||
Draymond Green (Golden State) | 0 | 13 | 37 | 76 | |||||
Bam Adebayo (Miami) | 1 | 3 | 17 | 31 | |||||
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 | |||||
Clint Capela (Atlanta) | 0 | 1 | 7 | 10 | |||||
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 7 | |||||
Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee) | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 | |||||
Myles Turner (Indiana) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | |||||
Jimmy Butler (Miami) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | |||||
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Los Angeles Lakers) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |||||
Below is the list of winners of the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.
KIA NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS | |||||
1982-83 – Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee 1983-84 – Sidney Moncrief, Milwaukee 1984-85 – Mark Eaton, Utah 1985-86 – Alvin Robertson, San Antonio 1986-87 – Michael Cooper, L.A. Lakers 1987-88 – Michael Jordan, Chicago 1988-89 – Mark Eaton, Utah 1989-90 – Dennis Rodman, Detroit 1990-91 – Dennis Rodman, Detroit 1991-92 – David Robinson, San Antonio 1992-93 – Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston 1993-94 – Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston 1994-95 – Dikembe Mutombo, Denver |
1995-96 – Gary Payton, Seattle 1996-97 – Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta 1997-98 – Dikembe Mutombo, Atlanta 1998-99 – Alonzo Mourning, Miami 1999-00 – Alonzo Mourning, Miami 2000-01 – Dikembe Mutombo, Philadelphia 2001-02 – Ben Wallace, Detroit 2002-03 – Ben Wallace, Detroit 2003-04 – Metta World Peace, Indiana 2004-05 – Ben Wallace, Detroit 2005-06 – Ben Wallace, Detroit 2006-07 – Marcus Camby, Denver 2007-08 – Kevin Garnett, Boston
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2008-09 – Dwight Howard, Orlando 2009-10 – Dwight Howard, Orlando 2010-11 – Dwight Howard, Orlando 2011-12 – Tyson Chandler, New York 2012-13 – Marc Gasol, Memphis 2013-14 – Joakim Noah, Chicago 2014-15 – Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio 2015-16 – Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio 2016-17 – Draymond Green, Golden State 2017-18 – Rudy Gobert, Utah 2018-19 – Rudy Gobert, Utah 2019-20 – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee 2020-21 – Rudy Gobert, Utah
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About Kia America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of more than 750 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America.*
For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/
*The Telluride, Sorento and K5 are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
# # #
UTAH’S RUDY GOBERT AND PHILADELPHIA’S BEN SIMMONS LEAD
2020-21 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM
– NBA All-Defensive First Team Also Features Golden State’s Draymond Green
and Milwaukee’s Jrue Holiday and Giannis Antetokounmpo
– NBA All-Defensive Second Team: Miami’s Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler,
Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Matisse Thybulle, and LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard –
NEW YORK, June 14, 2021 – Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons lead the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced today. Both players received NBA All-Defensive First Team votes on all 100 ballots to finish with 200 points each.
Joining Gobert and Simmons on the NBA All-Defensive First Team are Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (176 points; 80 First Team votes) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (157 points; 65 First Team votes) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (135 points; 43 first Team votes).
Gobert, the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in the last four seasons, has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fifth season in a row. This marks the second straight First Team selection for Simmons, the runner-up for Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season. Simmons helped the 76ers finish with the NBA’s second-best defensive rating in the regular season, one spot ahead of the Gobert-led Jazz.
Green has been selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fourth time to go with two Second Team honors. Holiday is a First Team honoree for the second time. Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, has earned his third consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.
The 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (111 points) and guard Jimmy Butler (111), 76ers center Joel Embiid (87) and guard Matisse Thybulle (63), and LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (43).
Leonard has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team (First Team and Second Team) for the seventh time. This is the fifth NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Butler, the third for Embiid and the second for Adebayo. Thybulle is making his All-Defensive Team debut in his second NBA season.
The NBA All-Defensive Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Players were awarded two points for each vote to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and one point for each vote to the Second Team. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most votes.
The voting results for the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Team are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.
2020-21 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE FIRST TEAM | |||||||||||
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Position | Player (Team) | 1st Team Votes (2 Points) | 2nd Team Votes (1 Point) | Total Points | Career All-Defensive Team Selections | ||||||
| |||||||||||
Center | Rudy Gobert (Utah) | 100 | 0 | 200 | 5 (five 1st) | ||||||
Guard | Ben Simmons (Philadelphia) | 100 | 0 | 200 | 2 (two 1st) | ||||||
Forward | Draymond Green (Golden State) | 80 | 16 | 176 | 6 (four 1st, two 2nd) | ||||||
Guard | Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee) | 65 | 27 | 157 | 3 (two 1st, one 2nd) | ||||||
Forward | Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee) | 43 | 49 | 135 | 4 (three 1st, one 2nd) | ||||||
2020-21 NBA ALL-DEFENSIVE SECOND TEAM | |||||||||||
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Position | Player (Team) | 1st Team Votes (2 Points) | 2nd Team Votes (1 Point) | Total Points | Career All-Defensive Team Selections | ||||||
| |||||||||||
Forward | Bam Adebayo (Miami) | 37 | 37 | 111 | 2 (two 2nd) | ||||||
Guard | Jimmy Butler (Miami) | 37 | 37 | 111 | 5 (five 2nd) | ||||||
Center | Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) | 8 | 71 | 87 | 3 (three 2nd) | ||||||
Guard | Matisse Thybulle (Philadelphia) | 3 | 57 | 63 | 1 (one 2nd) | ||||||
Forward | Kawhi Leonard (LA Clippers) | 8 | 27 | 43 | 7 (three 1st, four 2nd) | ||||||
Below are the other players who received votes for the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Team, listed at the position at which they received the most votes. The “Total Points” category represents points that players received at any position, not just the position at which they are listed.
OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: GUARDS | |||||||
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Player (Team) | 1st Team Votes (2 Points) | 2nd Team Votes | Total Points | ||||
| |||||||
Mikal Bridges (Phoenix) | 4 | 31 | 39 | ||||
Marcus Smart (Boston) | 1 | 20 | 22 | ||||
Luguentz Dort (Oklahoma City) | 1 | 15 | 17 | ||||
Chris Paul (Phoenix) | 2 | 10 | 14 | ||||
Paul George (LA Clippers) | 1 | 9 | 11 | ||||
Alex Caruso (Los Angeles Lakers) | 0 | 5 | 5 | ||||
Dejounte Murray (San Antonio) | 1 | 3 | 5 | ||||
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Los Angeles Lakers) | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||
T.J. McConnell (Indiana) | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||
Dennis Schröder (Los Angeles Lakers) | 1 | 2 | 4 | ||||
Dillon Brooks (Memphis) | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||
Danny Green (Philadelphia) | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||
Fred VanVleet (Toronto) | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||
Jaylen Brown (Boston) | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||
Mike Conley (Utah) | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||||
Donovan Mitchell (Utah) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Russell Westbrook (Washington) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: CENTERS | |||||||
| |||||||
Player (Team) | 1st Team Votes (2 Points) | 2nd Team Votes (1 Point) | Total Points | ||||
| |||||||
Clint Capela (Atlanta) | 0 | 36 | 36 | ||||
Nerlens Noel (New York) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
OTHER PLAYERS RECEIVING VOTES: FORWARDS | |||||||
| |||||||
Player (Team) | 1st Team Votes (2 Points) | 2nd Team Votes (1 Point) | Total Points | ||||
| |||||||
Myles Turner (Indiana) | 5 | 14 | 24 | ||||
Julius Randle (New York) | 0 | 4 | 4 | ||||
OG Anunoby (Toronto) | 0 | 3 | 3 | ||||
Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Royce O’Neale (Utah) | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
Robert Covington (Portland) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Jae Crowder (Phoenix) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Daniel Theis (Chicago) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Andrew Wiggins (Golden State) | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Christian Wood (Houston) | 0 | ||||||
CHARLOTTE’S LAMELO BALL WINS
2020-21 KIA NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
NEW YORK, June 16, 2021 – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is the recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, the NBA announced today. He is the third player to win the annual award with Charlotte, joining Larry Johnson (1991-92) and Emeka Okafor (2004-05).
Ball received 84 first-place votes and earned 465 total points from a global panel of 99 sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards received the other 15 first-place votes and finished in second place with 309 points. Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton finished in third place with 114 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.59 steals in 28.8 minutes in 51 games (31 starts), leading all rookies in assists and steals and ranking second in points and rebounds. He is the seventh rookie to average at least 15.0 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.50 steals in a season since steals became an official statistic in the 1973-74 season, joining Magic Johnson (1979-80), Penny Hardaway (1993-94), Steve Francis (1999-00), Chris Paul (2005-06), Michael Carter-Williams (2013-14) and Ben Simmons (2017-18). Ball was one of two NBA players to reach all four of those averages this season, along with Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.
On Jan. 9, Ball recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against the Atlanta Hawks at 19 years, 140 days old, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double. In other standout performances, Ball posted a career-high 34 points, eight assists and zero turnovers against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 5 in his third career start, and he had 30 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 1. Despite missing 21 games with a wrist injury, Ball finished with the second-most assists (313) and third-most three-pointers made (92) by a rookie in Hornets history.
Ball was selected as the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the first three months of the season (December/January, February and March). He was also named to the U.S. Team for the 2021 NBA Rising Stars rosters.
Charlotte selected Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball played for the Illawara Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League during the 2019-20 season, where he was named the NBL Rookie of the Year.
The Kia NBA Rookie of the Year trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Eddie Gottlieb, one of the NBA’s founders. Gottlieb coached the Philadelphia Warriors to the 1946-47 championship in the league’s first season.
The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.
VOTING RESULTS: 2020-21 KIA NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD | ||||
| ||||
Player (Team) | 1st Place Votes (5 Points) | 2nd Place Votes (3 Points) | 3rd Place Votes (1 Point) | Total Points |
| ||||
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte) | 84 | 15 | 0 | 465 |
Anthony Edwards (Minnesota) | 15 | 75 | 9 | 309 |
Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento) | 0 | 9 | 87 | 114 |
Saddiq Bey (Detroit) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Below is the all-time list of recipients of the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
KIA NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS | ||
1952-53 – Don Meineke, Fort Wayne 1970-71 – Dave Cowens, Boston (tie) 1974-75 – Jamaal Wilkes, Golden State 1975-76 – Alvan Adams, Phoenix 1976-77 – Adrian Dantley, Buffalo |
1979-80 – Larry Bird, Boston 1981-82 – Buck Williams, New Jersey 1983-84 – Ralph Sampson, Houston 1984-85 – Michael Jordan, Chicago Jason Kidd, Dallas (tie) 1995-96 – Damon Stoudamire, Toronto 1998-99 – Vince Carter, Toronto 1999-00 – Elton Brand, Chicago (tie) Steve Francis, Houston (tie) 2000-01 – Mike Miller, Orlando |
2001-02 – Pau Gasol, Memphis 2003-04 – LeBron James, Cleveland 2004-05 – Emeka Okafor, Charlotte 2005-06 – Chris Paul, New Orleans/Oklahoma City 2006-07 – Brandon Roy, Portland 2007-08 – Kevin Durant, Seattle 2008-09 – Derrick Rose, Chicago 2009-10 – Tyreke Evans, Sacramento 2010-11 – Blake Griffin, LA Clippers 2011-12 – Kyrie Irving, Cleveland 2012-13 – Damian Lillard, Portland 2014-15 – Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota 2016-17 – Malcolm Brogdon, Milwaukee 2017-18 – Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 2018-19 – Luka Dončić, Dallas 2019-20 – Ja Morant, Memphis 2020-21 – LaMelo Ball, Charlotte |
About Kia America
Headquartered in Irvine, California, Kia America continues to top quality surveys and is recognized as one of the 100 Best Global Brands. Kia serves as the “Official Automotive Partner” of the NBA and offers a complete range of vehicles sold through a network of more than 750 dealers in the U.S., including cars and SUVs proudly assembled in America.*
For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com. To receive custom email notifications for press releases the moment they are published, subscribe at www.kiamedia.com/us/en/
*The Telluride, Sorento and K5 are assembled in the United States from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
# # #
– NBA and Kaiser Permanente to Donate $25,000 to the Devin Booker Starting Five Initiative Through Phoenix Suns Charities –
NEW YORK, July 7, 2021 – The NBA today announced Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker as the winner of the 2020-21 Seasonlong NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente. Booker, who is currently playing in the NBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV, was selected by fans during a 12-day public voting period as well as by an NBA executive panel for his exceptional community outreach in the greater Phoenix area over the past several months.
This season, Booker furthered his commitment to the Phoenix community, donating $500,000 to five Arizona community groups for their respective efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families through his Devin Booker Starting Five Initiative, which has committed a total of $2.5 million over the course of five years – $500,000 annually – to five different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona. Known as the second Starting Five class, Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries and Elevate Phoenix each received a $100,000 grant from Booker to help address critical funding needs following the pandemic and support their respective efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families. The first class — Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers and Ability 360— received their $100,000 grants in late 2019.
Throughout his career in Phoenix, Booker has also provided significant support to youth and families across the Valley through COVID-19 relief, holiday shopping sprees, serving as a guest coach for wheelchair and youth basketball programs and making annual visits to Phoenix Children’s Hospital. In 2020, he was named a Special Olympics Global Ambassador, actively promoting inclusion through sport and continuing to participate in events with Special Olympics Arizona. At the 2016 and 2017 NBA Draft Lottery, he selected deserving young athletes to accompany him as his guest.
The Suns and NBA will recognize Booker prior to Game 2 of the NBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV on Thursday, July 8 at 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC. Additionally, the Devin Booker Starting Five Initiative through Phoenix Suns Charities will receive a $25,000 contribution from the NBA and Kaiser Permanente.
Each month of the regular season, the Community Assist Award recognizes a player who best reflects the passion that the league and NBA players share for supporting their communities. The seasonlong award honors one of the monthly winners’ continued commitment to positively impacting his community through sustained efforts. To learn more about the NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente, please visit https://communityassist.nba.
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