CLEVELAND – NBA players have selected Memphis Grizzlies guard Vince Carter as the recipient of the 2015-16 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the NBA announced today.  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.

More than 300 NBA players submitted their votes through confidential balloting conducted by the league office.  The 12 nominees were chosen by a panel of NBA legends as well as executives from the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association.

Carter totaled 1,448 points from the players, including 65 first-place votes.  The Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Garnett finished second with 916 points (39 first-place votes), and the Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh placed third with 799 points (18 first-place votes).   Ten points were awarded for a first-place vote, seven for a second-place vote, five for a third, three for a fourth and one for a fifth.

An eight-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA Team selection, Carter has spent the last two seasons of his 18-year career with Memphis.  Carter ranks 24^th on the NBA’s career scoring list (23,969 points) and sixth in three-pointers made (1,937).  He finished second to the San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan in last year’s voting for the Twyman-Stokes honor.

Carter will be presented with the Twyman-Stokes trophy by 2013-14 Teammate of the Year winner Shane Battier on Wednesday, June 8 in an on-court ceremony during Game 3 of The Finals 2016 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors in Cleveland.  As part of its support for the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, the NBA will make a $25,000 donation to Carter’s Embassy of Hope Foundation, which assists organizations and individuals in improving the quality of life for children.

Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes, whose storied friendship transcended their Hall of Fame accomplishments, are honored with an annual NBA award in their names that recognizes the ideal teammate.  Twyman and Stokes were teammates on the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals from 1955-58.  In the last game of the 1957-58 regular season, Stokes suffered 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 in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  Twyman, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983, died in 2012.

Along with Carter, Garnett and Bosh, the other finalists for the 2015-16 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award were Ryan Anderson (New Orleans Pelicans), Caron Butler (Sacramento Kings), Jose Calderon (New York Knicks), Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons), Festus Ezeli (Golden State), James Jones (Cleveland), Andre Miller (San Antonio), Luis Scola (Toronto Raptors) and Marvin Williams (Charlotte Hornets).

Below is the list of voting totals for the 2015-16 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award:

2015-16 TWYMAN-STOKES TEAMMATE OF THE YEAR AWARD VOTING TOTALS

Player, Team                               1^st        2^nd       3^rd       4^th        5^th        Points

Vince Carter, Memphis               65        61        45        39        29        1,448

Kevin Garnett, Minnesota            39        34        27        44        21        916

Chris Bosh, Miami                       18        49        31        29        34        799

Andre Miller, San Antonio          25        39        25        32        33        777

Caron Butler, Sacramento            19        28        41        45        31        757

Ryan Anderson, New Orleans      26        33        25        30        25        731

Jose Calderon, New York             25        19        39        19        24        659

Marvin Williams, Charlotte            33        12        17        21        50        612

Luis Scola, Toronto                      28        15        20        11        10        528

James Jones, Cleveland                15        17        22        22        17        462

Festus Ezeli, Golden State           22        9          11        19        24        419

Andre Drummond, Detroit           12        11        24        16        29        394

Below is the list of winners of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award:

ALL-TIME TWYMAN-STOKES TEAMMATE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

2012-13: Chauncey Billups, L.A. Clippers
2013-14: Shane Battier, Miami
2014-15: Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2015-16: Vince Carter, Memphis

ABOUT JACK TWYMAN: A Pittsburgh native, Twyman’s NBA career included six All-Star Game selections and two All-NBA Second Team nods.  A prolific scorer, Twyman was runner-up in the scoring race twice, including in 1959-60, when he averaged a career-high 31.2 points.  He retired in 1966 as the 20^th all-time leading scorer.  After his playing career, he worked as an NBA analyst for ABC.  Twyman starred at the University of Cincinnati, where he averaged 17.8 points and 13.8 rebounds.

ABOUT MAURICE STOKES: Also a Pittsburgh native, Stokes was one of the first African-American 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 College (Pennsylvania) to the Final Four of the 1955 National Invitation Tournament before embarking on his NBA career.  The second overall selection of the 1955 NBA Draft by the Rochester Kings, Stokes won the 1955-56 Rookie of the Year Award and earned All-Star berths in each of his three NBA seasons before suffering his career-ending injury.