Tag: NBA Sportsmanship Award

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams nominated for pair of NBA awards

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams nominated for pair of NBA awards.

The NBA announced its finalists for a pair of awards on Tuesday and the Oklahoma City Thunder had a representative in each group.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was nominated for the 2023-24 NBA Sportsmanship Award. The award honors players who represent the best sportsmanship on the court. Players will vote on a winner from the six candidates.

Others nominated were Tyrese Maxey, Jarrett Allen, Kevin Love, Harrison Barnes and Tre Jones.

Jalen Williams was nominated for the 2023-24 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. The award honors players who are regarded as selfless both on and off the court and those who show leadership skills. Players will vote on the winner from the 12 candidates.

Others nominated were Barnes, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Mike Conley, Markelle Fultz, Al Horford, T.J. McConnell, Larry Nance Jr., Georges Niang and Dwight Powell.

The Thunder will likely have several representatives during the NBA’s award season. Being in first place in the Western Conference standings with one of the youngest rosters will do that.

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Former Ohio State guard Mike Conley Jr. wins NBA Sportsmanship Award

Congrats to a great OSU basketball ambassador. #GoBucks

This is becoming a pretty regular thing. For the fourth time, former Ohio State and current Minnesota Timberwolves guard, Mike Conley Jr. is the recipient of the 2022-2023 NBA Sportsmanship Award.

Each team nominates a player for the award annually, with six chosen as finalists before players vote on a winner. And perhaps nothing means more than receiving an award from your peers like Conley has now done more than any other player in the history of the NBA.

Conley broke into the League when he was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the fourth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft. He spent 12 seasons with the Grizzlies where he became the team’s all-time leading scorer before being traded to the Utah Jazz and then moving on to the Timberwolves.

You can watch Conley get surprised with the award in the below video shared to the NBA’s Twitter account.

Conley has had a very lengthy and productive career on the court, averaging 14.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game over his 17-year career. But he has always shown class and high-level sportsmanship in addition.

This is just another example of what a great ambassador for the Ohio State basketball program Conley is.

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