The National Basketball Association on Monday announced the six-man finalists for the 2022-23 NBA Sportsmanship Award, which pays homage to the player who best represents the “ideals of sportsmanship on the court”.
The trophy, which was named in honour of Hall of Famer and current executive vice president and head of basketball operations for the NBA, Joe Dumars, who won the inaugural Sportsmanship Award in the 1995-96 season, recognizes the player who plays the game with the “right ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity.”
The list of finalists, led by Nigerian-American Bam Adebayo, who plays center for the Miami Heat, also includes Minnesota Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, who has won the award on three previous occasions, Sacramento Kings forward Harrison Barnes, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, and finally Houston Rockets center Boban Marjanovic.
The finalists for the 2022-23 NBA Sportsmanship Award.
The annual honor recognizes the player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. Current NBA players will select the winner from these six finalists (one finalist from each NBA division). pic.twitter.com/RNVloxlvA4
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 3, 2023
The 30 teams in the NBA select one of their players to participate in the award annually and a player from each of the six NBA divisions—Atlantic, Central, Southeast, Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest—is selected as the divisional sportsmanship award winner by a panel.
By the end of the regular season, the regular and current players in the NBA will select the winner from the six finalists by casting their votes for their preferred candidate.
11 points are awarded for first-place votes, nine points for second-place votes, seven points for third, five points for fourth, three points for fifth, and one point for each sixth-place vote received.
Irrespective of the number of first-place votes received, the player with the highest point total wins and is rightfully given the award.
Brooklyn Nets’ Australian guard Patty Mills won the Sportsmanship Award in the 2021–22 season with a total of 1,975 points, including 58 first-place votes.
