The National Basketball Association (NBA) is one of the most prestigious – and competitive – sporting bodies in the world and, players who make it into the NBA world can expect to make big bucks through sponsorship deals as well as through their salaries. While the cash is no doubt a major draw, for many players, it’s all about the annual awards. The NBA dishes out 13 different awards every year, and competition is pretty fierce. One of these coveted annual awards is the NBA Most Improved Player Award and, in this article, we’ll take a look at this prestigious honour.
Getting better every day
The NBA Most Improved Player Award is given to the player who is seen to have made the most progress during the regular season in comparison to the previous season. This is calculated as follows: Every first-place vote is worth five points with second-place vote worth three and, third place vote worth just one point. At the end of the voting, the player with the most points will take home the Most Improved Player Award.
1985-86, Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs
The Most Improved Player Award in NBA history began in the 1985 to 1986 season and was bagged by Ohio born, Alvin Robertson.
Alvin Robertson burst onto the NBA scene in 1984 as the seventh overall by the San Antonio Spurs and won the Most Improved Player Award the following year, as well as the Defensive Player Of The Year. He then spent three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, followed by a stint with the Detroit Pistons in 1992 to 1993. The next year, Robertson was traded to the Denver Nuggets but a back injury prevented him from playing and, in fact, he didn’t play another game until the 1995 to 1996 season with the Toronto Raptors.
While Alvin was once the recipient of the Defensive Player Of The Year, in 2009, he faced a different kind of defense altogether when he was arrested on charges of trafficking persons under 18 for prostitution and sexual assault of a child. Although these charges against him were eventually dropped, Alvin’s life has been marred by numerous skirmishes with the law and it is thought that he now lives a reclusive existence in Texas.
As with most sports, controversy is never far away in the world of the NBA and, another Most Improved Player found himself in the spotlight in 2004…
2002-03, Jermaine O’Neal, Portland Trailblazers, Indiana Pacers
South Carolinian, Jermaine O’Neal, was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers straight out of high school and was named the Most Improved Player in 2002. Jermaine’s name hit the headlines in 2004 when a mass brawl broke out between players and fans at a Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers game.
The incident, which has recently been showcased in a Netflix documentary, Malice At The Palace, began when a disgruntled fan threw a soft drink at the Pacer’s Small Forward, Ron Artest (now known as Metta Sandiford-Artest. Thus ensued a mass brawl between fans and players, including Jermaine O’Neal, which resulted in the suspension of nine players.
While the NBA may have had its share of dodgy moments, there are also many Most Improved Player Award holders who are committed to using their fame and fortune for the power of good, including…
2016-17, Giannis Antetokoumpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Travelling all the way from Athens, Greece, Giannis began his NBA career in 2013 when he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. He won the Most Improved Player Award in 2017 and Most Valuable Player in 2019 and 2020. Giannis would, however, argue that his biggest value is in the work that he does for charity.
Giannis is involved in charitable acts in Milwaukee, including handing out free meals to those living in poverty. In 2019, he also made his way back to Greece to perform charitable deeds, including setting up the ‘Give N Rise’ project which raises money for good causes through basketball and dancing events – for the latter of which, Giannis was accompanied by NBA teammates Brook Lopez and Eric Bledsoe.
Bang up to date
On June the 8th, 2021, the latest round of NBA Awards took place and, the winner of the Most Improved Player Award was…
2020-21, Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks
New York Knicks’ Power Forward / Center was the much-deserved winner of the award after some hard work on his shooting saw his scoring reach 41.1% compared to last season’s 27.7%. The 26-year-old All-Star from Dallas entered the NBA in 2014 when he was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers
Look to the future now
While we don’t, unfortunately, have a crystal ball, betting shops are already busy working on their predictions for the next award winners of the Most Improved Player and, at the moment, the odds are very much in favour of…
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City
23 year old Canadian, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was drafted in 2018 by Oklahoma City and is known for being one of the most creative players in the league as well as being able to score effectively from pretty much anywhere. For these reasons, this young player from Toronto is very much one to watch.
