Now when the regular season ends we all think about the main awards like the MVP and all those, but the NBA and many other sports have the side awards that are specific to something. Sportsmanship, being valuable to the local community, players have a chance to be recognised for their work off court as well as on the court. Mike Conley is one of those people.
Conley, who might not be in Memphis next season, has been awarded the NBA Sportsmanship Award for the 2015-16 season.
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. The trophy is named for former Detroit Pistons guard and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the award’s first recipient, in 1995-96.
Conley will be presented the Joe Dumars Trophy in a pregame presentation on the main court before tomorrow’s Game 4 tip-off at 12 p.m.
“I’m humbled to be recognized by the league again for an award that celebrates more than just winning on the court,” said Conley. “This award is more than a trophy – I’m able to celebrate it with my family, who helped instill the values of teamwork, as well as with my coaches, teammates and all of Grizz Nation.”
For the award there are six candidates. One representative of every division. Even though Mike Conley got the award, the real reward is the NBA giving $10,000 to a charity of Conley’s choice, that’s a good reason to go for this award.
