NBA G League awards and honors |
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Championship |
Individual awards |
Honors |
The NBA G League Rookie of the Year is an annual NBA G League (formerly known as the NBA Development League) award given since the league's inaugural season to the top rookie of the regular season. The league's head coaches determine the award by voting and it is usually presented to the honoree during the playoffs. [1]
Fred House was the inaugural winner while playing for the North Charleston Lowgators. [2] Four international players have won the award: Edwin Ubiles of Puerto Rico in 2012, Abdel Nader of Egypt in 2017, Ángel Delgado of the Dominican Republic in 2019, and Oscar Tshiebwe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2024. By position, guards have won 10 times, forwards nine times, and centers twice.
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, named after the former Philadelphia Warriors head coach. Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, named after the former Rookie of the Year winner.
The Rising Stars Challenge is a basketball exhibition game held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) on the Friday before the annual All-Star Game as part of the All-Star Weekend and is intended to showcase young and rising players in the league. Being sponsored by Panini Group, the event is also known as Panini Rising Stars.
The Indiana Mad Ants are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Indianapolis, and are affiliated with the Indiana Pacers. The team plays their home games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The franchise won their first and only championship in 2014, when the G League was known as the NBA D-League. In September 2015, Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E), parent company of the Indiana Pacers purchased the Mad Ants. From 2007–2023, the team was based in Fort Wayne's Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and was known as the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
The Sporting News Men's College Basketball Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given to the best men's basketball player in NCAA Division I competition. The award was first given following the 1942–43 season and is presented by The Sporting News, an American–based sports magazine that was established in 1886.
The NBA G League Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual NBA G League award given since the league's inaugural season to the best performing player of the regular season. The league's head coaches determine the award by voting and it is usually presented to the honoree during the G-League playoffs.
The NBA G League Most Improved Player is an annual NBA G League award given since the 2009–10 season. The award honors the player who demonstrated the most significant improvement over the course of the regular season. The league's head coaches determine the award by voting and it is usually presented to the honoree during the playoffs.
The NBA G League Defensive Player of the Year is an annual NBA G League award given since the league's inaugural season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The league's head coaches determine the award by voting and it is usually presented to the honoree during the D-League playoffs.
Karl-Anthony Towns Jr., also known by the initialed nickname KAT, is a Dominican-American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats. Towns was named to the Dominican Republic national team as a 16-year-old. He was selected with the first overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and went on to be named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2015–16 season. He has received four All-Star selections, and won the 2021–22 NBA Three-Point Contest.
The 2014–15 NBA season was the 69th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA draft took place on June 26, 2014, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where Andrew Wiggins was selected first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The regular season began on October 28, 2014, when the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs hosted the first game against the Dallas Mavericks at AT&T Center in San Antonio. The 2015 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 15, 2015, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, with the West defeating the East 163–158. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook won the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. The regular season ended on April 15, 2015 and the playoffs began on April 18, 2015 and ended with the 2015 NBA Finals on June 16, 2015, after the Golden State Warriors defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to win their fourth NBA title and first since 1975. The Charlotte Bobcats played their first official game as the Charlotte Hornets since 2002.
The 2015–16 NBA season was the 70th season of the National Basketball Association. The regular season began on October 27, 2015, at the United Center, home of the Chicago Bulls, with their game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 2016 NBA All-Star Game was played at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on February 14, 2016. The regular season ended on April 13, 2016. Golden State's Stephen Curry became the first unanimous MVP in league history. The playoffs started on April 16, 2016, and ended with the 2016 NBA Finals on June 19, 2016, with the Cleveland Cavaliers becoming NBA Champions for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Golden State Warriors in seven games. This would also be the final season for All-Stars and future Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett.
Chavano Rainer "Buddy" Hield is a Bahamian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners and was named the Big 12 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, he received four major national player of the year awards—the John R. Wooden Award, the Naismith Award, Sporting News Player of the Year, and the Oscar Robertson Trophy. Hield was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans and was traded to the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins in 2017. He was dealt to the Indiana Pacers in a package for Domantas Sabonis in 2022. In February of 2024 he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Luka Dončić is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed “Luka Magic”, he also plays for the Slovenia national team and is regarded as one of the greatest European players of all time.
Shaquille Harrison is an American professional basketball player for the South Bay Lakers of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.
Ángel Luis Delgado Astacio is a Dominican professional basketball player for Beşiktaş Emlakjet of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL). He played college basketball for the Seton Hall Pirates. Delgado has also played on the Dominican national team.
The 2020–21 NBA season was the 75th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA), though the 75th anniversary was not celebrated until the following season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the regular season was reduced to 72 games for each team, and began on December 22, 2020. The season started just 72 days after the completion of the 2020 NBA Finals, the shortest off-season in league history. The 2021 NBA All-Star Game was played on March 7, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and was won by Team LeBron, 170–150. For the first time, the NBA staged a play-in tournament for teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference from May 18 to 21. The playoffs then ran under the standard 16-team playoff format from May 22 to July 20, 2021. Due to COVID-19 cross-border restrictions imposed by the Canadian government, the Toronto Raptors played their 2020–21 home games at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Oscar Tshiebwe is a Congolese professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Kentucky Wildcats. In 2022, Tshiebwe was the consensus national player of the year.
Bennedict Richard Felder Mathurin is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arizona Wildcats, where he was named a consensus second-team All-American and Pac-12 Player of the Year after his sophomore season. He was selected by the Pacers with the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2023 and finished fourth in voting for the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year award.