Grizzlies’ Mike Conley wins 2013-14 NBA Sportsmanship Award

NEW YORK – Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy presented to the 2013-14 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner, the NBA announced today.  Conley becomes the first Grizzlies player to receive the honor.

Conley (Southwest) was one of six divisional winners, which included Boston’s Jeff Green (Atlantic), Chicago’s Mike Dunleavy (Central), Phoenix’s Channing Frye (Pacific), Portland’s Damian Lillard (Northwest) and Washington’s Bradley Beal (Southeast).

Conley received 77 first-place votes (of a possible 334) and 2,335 total points overall.  The NBA will make a $10,000 donation on behalf of Conley to his charity of choice, the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, specifically for research pertaining to sickle cell anemia.

For the 10th consecutive year, NBA players voted on this award, with eleven points given for each first-place vote, nine points for each second-place vote, seven points for third, five points for fourth, three points for fifth and one point for each sixth-place vote received.  Each team nominated one of its players for the award.  Former NBA players John Crotty, Antonio Davis, Eddie Johnson, Jalen Rose, and Isiah Thomas selected the six divisional winners from a pool of 30 team nominees.

The NBA will make a $5,000 donation to each of the divisional winner’s charities of choice: a split donation between Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington for Beal; Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer for Dunleavy ; the Frye Family Foundation on behalf of Frye; the Cleveland Clinic Foundation on behalf of Green; a split donation between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Oregon/Southwestern Washington affiliates of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for Lillard.

The annual award reflects the ideals of sportsmanship — ethical behavior, fair play and integrity — in amateur and professional basketball, a key focus of the league’s NBA Cares program efforts.  The trophy is named for former Detroit Pistons guard and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the award’s first recipient.

Following is a list of this year’s voting totals for 2013-14 the NBA Sportsmanship Award.

2013-14 NBA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD VOTING TOTALS

Player, Team                                 1st        2nd       3rd        4th        5th        6th        Points
Mike Conley, Memphis                  77        76        55        49        51        21        2,335
Jeff Green, Boston                          65        42        44        65        68        41        1,971
Channing Frye, Phoenix                 53        49        70        35        55        61        1,915
Bradley Beal, Washington               44        49        59        61        71        41        1,897
Damian Lillard, Portland                 48        48        58        66        40        65        1,881
Mike Dunleavy, Chicago                 47        68        41        45        34        89        1,832

ALL-TIME 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, Los Angeles 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