Individual Awards
Award | Created | Description | Most recent winner(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
All-Star Game Most Valuable Player | 1953 | Awarded to the best performing player of the annual NBA All-Star Game as voted by a panel of media members. | Chris Paul (Los Angeles Clippers) | |
Rookie of the Year (Eddie Gottlieb Trophy) |
1953 | Awarded to the top rookie of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers) | |
Most Valuable Player (Maurice Podoloff Trophy) |
1956 | Awarded to the best performing player of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | LeBron James (Miami Heat) | |
Coach of the Year (Red Auerbach Trophy) |
1963 | Awarded to the best coach of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | George Karl (Denver Nuggets) | |
Bill Russell Finals Most Valuable Player | 1969 | Named after Bill Russell; awarded to the best performing player of the NBA Finals as voted by a panel of nine media members. | LeBron James (Miami Heat) | |
Executive of the Year | 1973 | Awarded to the NBA's best front office executive as voted by executives from the league's 30 teams. | Masai Ujiri (Denver Nuggets) | |
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award | 1975 | Named after J. Walter Kennedy; awarded to a player, coach or trainer who shows "outstanding service and dedication to the community" as selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA). | Kenneth Faried (Denver Nuggets) | |
Defensive Player of the Year | 1984 | Awarded to the top defensive player of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies) | |
Sixth Man of the Year | 1984 | Awarded to the NBA's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substitute (or sixth man) as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | J. R. Smith (New York Knicks) | |
Most Improved Player | 1986 | Awarded to the most improved player of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Paul George (Indiana Pacers) | |
Sportsmanship Award (Joe Dumars Trophy) |
1996 | Awarded to the player who most "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court—ethical behavior, fair play and integrity" as voted by NBA players. | Jason Kidd (New York Knicks) | |
Twyman–Stokes Teammate of the Year Award (Twyman–Stokes Trophy) |
2013 | Awarded to the “ideal teammate” who exemplify "selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other players and his commitment and dedication to his team" as voted by NBA players. | Chauncey Billups (Los Angeles Clippers) |
Read more about this topic: NBA Awards
Famous quotes containing the word individual:
“Quintilian [educational writer in Rome about A.D. 100] hoped that teachers would be sensitive to individual differences of temperament and ability. . . . Beating, he thought, was usually unnecessary. A teacher who had made the effort to understand his pupils individual needs and character could probably dispense with it: I will content myself with saying that children are helpless and easily victimized, and that therefore no one should be given unlimited power over them.”
—C. John Sommerville (20th century)