Mike Conley Jr. is one of the best people in the NBA.
Not only because of how the 16-year veteran loads up the box score, but also because of the exemplary leader he has been to his teammates and fellow NBA players since the Memphis Grizzlies selected him in the first round of the 2007 NBA draft.
That fact was proven once more on Friday when Conley won the 2023 NBA Sportsmanship Award, the fourth such honor of his career. With the recognition, Conley has won the award more than any other player in the history of the NBA. He is also the first member of the Minnesota Timberwolves to receive the accolade.
Mike Conley on winning the NBA Sportsmanship Award for the 4th time after being surprised with the award at @nbaconofficial pic.twitter.com/tg4x2UwZDN
— NBA (@NBA) July 7, 2023
The NBA Sportsmanship Award is an annual honor presented to a player who best represents the league's ideals of sportsmanship on the court. Each NBA team nominates one of its players for the award. From the list of 30 team nominees, a panel of league executives selects one finalist from each of the NBA’s six divisions before NBA players select the winner. Conley received the most votes from a collection of 300 players that submitted their votes to the league office.
In a season where he was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Conley averaged 11.9 points, 6.7 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 30.3 minutes per game, his most since the 2018-19 season. The point guard shot 42.8% from the field and 38.5% from beyond the arc while appearing in 67 games (66 starts) between the Jazz and Timberwolves.
On April 8, Conley reached 15,000 career points, becoming the 149th player in NBA history to surpass that mark. Among former Buckeyes, Conley (15,019 career points) is just the second former Ohio State great to reach that mark, joining John Havlicek (26,3950).
After signing a three-year, $68.04 million extension before the 2021-22 season, the 36-year-old will become an unrestricted free agent following the 2023-24 season.
The NBA Sportsmanship Award trophy is named in honor of Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, a six-time NBA All-Star and two-time NBA champion. Dumars played 14 NBA seasons and won the inaugural Sportsmanship Award in 1996.
