As the NBA describes it, the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award “recognizes the NBA 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 his commitment and dedication to his team.” In this age of self-promotion and emphasis on individual accolades, it may be the award that saves the NBA’s soul.
The 2019 nominees are all the types of players who coaches love and teammates want to play with. NBA superstar Dwyane Wade, who has been deservingly receiving plenty of individual attention during his farewell season, made sure to let everyone know who he’s voting for: his Miami Heat teammate Udonis Haslem. In shouting out Haslem for the sportsmanship award, Wade says it’s not “because he’s my brother it’s because I get to witness it everyday,” calling Haslem an “everyday leader.”
Congrts to all the nominees but this award has @ThisIsUD written all over it. Y’all know where my vote is going and it’s not because he’s my brother it’s because i get to witness it everyday. He’s an everyday leader for us. https://t.co/W8lNgKw38K
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) April 3, 2019
Other nominees for the award this year are:
Rudy Gay, Spurs
Steven Adams, Thunder
Mike Conley, Grizzlies
Channing Frye, Cavaliers
Andre Iguodala, Warriors
Kyle Korver, Jazz
Thaddeus Young, Pacers
JJ Redick, 76ers
Khris Middleton, Bucks
The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award is named for friends and NBA teammates Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman. Stokes was stricken by a brain injury at the end of the 1957-58 season and Twyman supported him for the rest of his life.
Thank u for the nomination for the 2018-19 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award #blessed #og pic.twitter.com/dvFG62sih1
— Udonis Haslem (@ThisIsUD) April 2, 2019
