When Are the NBA Awards?

The NBA Awards show is finally here! Here’s a look at when it is and how to watch.

MVP

The Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since 1955 to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. Until 2011, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since 2012, experts selected the MVP.

The MVP has been awarded to 40 different players since its inception. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, also known as Lew Alcindor, has won the most MVPs with six. He is closely followed by Michael Jordan, who won five MVPs. Walter Johnson and Albert Pujols are tied for second-most all-time with three awards each..

Defensive Player of the Year

The Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best defensive player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of 124 sports writers and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points, each second-place vote is worth three points, and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.

Past winners have often been exceptional shot blockers; however, blocks are not an official statistic on which voters can base their selections. Since its inception, the award has been given to 20 different players. Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace have each won the award a record four times; Mutombo is also the only player to win in consecutive seasons (1997–98 with Atlanta Hawks and 1998–99 with Philadelphia 76ers). Dwight Howard is the most recent recipient; he won his third Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2011–12 with return to his former team, Orlando Magic after joining Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent in 2012 off-season.

Rookie of the Year

Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top-performing player(s) in their first season of play.

Sixth Man of the Year

The National Basketball Association Sixth Man of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1982–83 NBA season to the best performing player for the team coming off the bench as a substitute. A panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from throughout the United States and Canada votes on the recipient. Each judge casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points; and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award. To be eligible for the award, a player must come off the bench in more games than he starts. Since its inception, only one player has won the award three times: Jamal Crawford, who played for four different teams over his 16-year career.

Former Indiana Pacers forward Detlef Schrempf, now an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks, won consecutive awards in 1991 and 1992 off the bench for Larry Bird’s Pacers teams that reached consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. Schrempf remains tied with Pelicans forward Anthony Tolliver (in 2019) and Crawford (in 2010) as laureates to win while playing fewer than 20 minutes per game in their winning seasons—at 19.7 MPG in 1991–92 and 19.6 MPG in 1990–91—and joins Crawford (in 2009–10) as only recipients to average single digits in scoring—9.0 PPG in 1990–91 and 8.3 PPG in 1991–92—en route to claiming their respective honors..

In 2014–15, San Antonio Spurs swingman Manu Ginóbili became only the sixth reserve after Schrempf to post double-digit points and assists averages—10.5 PPG and 4.2 APG—while coming off benches at least 20 times during an 82-game regular season schedule en route to winning his lone Sixth Man Award..

Most Improved Player

The Most Improved Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the most improved player of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 31 different players. The inaugural winner of the award was Amos Alonzo Stagg, a basketball and baseball player who coached football at the University of Chicago from 1892 to 1932. Kemba Walker, who plays for the Charlotte Hornets, is the most recent recipient of the award.

Coach of the Year

The Coach of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since 1962 to the head coach who has made the most positive difference to a team. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, named after the former Boston Celtics coach and general manager Red Auerbach. Five coaches have won the award multiple times: Don Nelson, Dick Motta, Pat Riley, Bill Fitch and Hubie Brown. Riley and Brown are tied for the most wins, with each winning it three times. Gregg Popovich has won it twice and is the only active coach with multiple wins.

To be eligible for the award, a coach must have coached at least part of a season in North America’s top-tier men’s professional basketball league; he need not have been coaching for an entire season to receive consideration from voters. Voters are asked to select two coaches deserving of recognition; these coaches are awarded five points, three points and one point, respectively. Coaches with equal voting point totals are tied in voting standings; in such cases subsequent tiers in voting standings are used to break ties until all tied coaches are ranked.

The trophy is significant not just because of its rich history dating back to 1962 when it was first presented by Red Auerbach himself but also because it often correctly predicts which team will win that year’s NBA finals. In fact, out of the last 17 winners dating back to 2000, 12 have coached their teams to an NBA finals appearance with 8 of those going on to win an NBA Championship.

Executive of the Year

The Executive of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the league’s best general manager(s). Before 2009, the Executive of the Year was presented annually by Sporting News, but was officially recognized by the NBA. Since 2009, the award has been presented annually by NBA.com.

Voting is conducted by each NBA team’s general manager at the end of the regular season and again after the conclusion of the playoffs, if their team has been eliminated. The person with the most overall points wins the award. In case of a tie, GMs who are voted on more frequently receive five points while GMs who are voted on equal to or less than other GMs receive three points. If still tied after these initial votes, a second ballot is created with just those tied for first receiving five points each and all other GMs receiving three points each.