Tyrese Maxey has just won the 2023-24 NBA Sportsmanship Award! This is a huge honor for him and for the Philadelphia 76ers, as he becomes only the second player from the team to win the award, following in the footsteps of Eric Snow in 1990.
It’s worth noting that Maxey has had an incredible season, also winning the Most Improved Player award in 2024 and earning his first NBA All-Star selection, with superb averages of 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG, 0.5 BPG, 1.0 SPG and 25.9 PPG while shooting 45% from the field. Clearly, he not only excels on the court but also embodies the spirit of sportsmanship that the award represents.
For those who may not be familiar, the Sportsmanship Award has been presented since the 1995-96 season and is given to a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. The award is named after Joe Dumars, a Hall of Famer and two-time NBA champion who embodied these values throughout his career with the Pistons.
Each NBA team nominated one of its players for the 2023-24 NBA Sportsmanship Award, and from the list of 30 team nominees, a panel of executives selected one finalist from each of the NBA’s six divisions. The winner was then chosen by current NBA players from the list of six finalists.
Tyrese Maxey finished with 2545 total points in the voting, receiving 91 first-place votes (worth 11 points each), 80 second-place votes (worth 9 points each), 64 third-place votes (worth 7 points each), 36 fourth-place votes (worth 5 points each), 51 fifth-place votes (worth 3 points each), and 43 sixth-place votes (worth 1 point each).
Miami Heat Center Kevin Love finished in second place with 2313 points, finishing only 232 points behind Tyrese Maxey. Love received 42 first-place votes, 83 second-place votes, 83 third-place votes, 72 fourth-place votes, 39 fifth-place votes, and 46 sixth-place votes.
The following people were Jarrett Allen from the Cleveland Cavaliers with 2299 total points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Oklahoma City Thunder with 2055 total points, Harrison Barnes from the Sacramento Kings with 2007 total points, and Tre Jones from the San Antonio Spurs with 1921 total points.