The teammate of the year award is an award presented annually to the league’s most “ideal teammate” that shows “selfless play, dedication to their team, a mentor and role model for both their teammates and fans, along with on and off-court leadership”. It is awarded to the winner after the conclusion of the regular season, the same time that other awards like MVP, Rookie of the Year, 6th Man of the Year, Most Improved Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and other awards are given out. A panel of league executives comes together to vote on who they believe is the best teammate in the league.
This is one of the most recent awards that the NBA has added and one that has been direly needed. When you look through the great history of the NBA, there have been countless examples of players who leave it all on the floor and would do anything in their power to help their teammates both on and off of the court. It is very unfortunate that other players throughout NBA history were not recognized for their devotion to their teammates and their team, however, it is great that some former legends could be recognized as incredible teammates before they were forced into retirement.
The backstory of the Award
There is a very rich history behind the teammate of the year award. The award is named after Jack Twyman and his teammate Maurice Stokes. Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes played together for the Royals from 1955-to 1958. However, Stokes was forced into premature retirement after Stokes sustained a head injury after a fall in his last game against the Lakers.
Things would continue to worsen for Maurice Stokes and he would develop post-traumatic encephalopathy that would leave him permanently paralyzed. Post-traumatic encephalopathy is a brain injury that destroys someone’s motor control center. This is the part of the story in which Jack Twyman would come into the picture and begin his work that would eventually result in the two teammates having an award named after them.
Jack Tywan stepped up and became the best teammate in the history of the league. He took it upon himself to take care of Stokes’ medical care along with becoming Stokes’ legal guardian and advocate. Twyman would continue to be his legal guardian and advocate until Stokes death in 1970. Stokes died from complications due to his condition and it was something that obviously stuck with and deeply bothered Twyman.
He raised funds and Twyman helped organize the NBA’s Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game. The game was initially brought to life as a way to help pay for Stokes’ medical costs, however, after his passing Twyman would use the money raised from the game to help other NBA players that were in need.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame NBA Players/ Future Hall of Famers that Won the Award
Despite the Twyman Stokes teammate of the year award only being around since 2012, there have already been a handful of huge names along with current and future Hall of Famers that have been recognized for their leadership as a mentor along with their commitment and dedication to the team. Looking at some of the award winners, their efforts on and off the court have been a model to other NBA players.
Tim Duncan
The first player that we will cover is the only current Hall of Famer that has won the Twyman Stokes teammate of the year award. That player of course is Tim Duncan. Duncan is the greatest player to ever wear a Spurs jersey. Along with this, he is a model player of what it means to be a team player. Duncan was never worried about individual stats or accolades. Rather he entirely focused his efforts on team basketball and winning games.
Duncan had to be the leader of the entire Spurs franchise for a little over a decade. Through that time, he had to maneuver the team through a couple of tabloid scandals. As a testament as to how great of a teammate and leader Duncan was, the core of the Spurs dynasty (Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobli, and Tony Parker), stuck together through the entirety of their primes together. Veterans were always more than eager to come and play for the Spurs because of the team culture and Duncan played an enormous part in implementing and holding his teammates to keep that culture.
It clearly is not an easy job to do, especially for as long as Duncan took it amongst himself to do. Since his retirement, the Spurs have not really found their successor as the face of the franchise and the leader of the team. It was thought that Duncan would pass the torch on to Kawhi Leonard, however, Leonard wanted nothing to do with it and forced his way out of San Antonio via a trade. Even after retirement, Duncan dedicated himself to the San Antonio Spurs and was a member of the coaching staff for a few years.
Even off of the court, Duncan was always there for his teammates. There is a video that still occasionally makes its rounds on the Internet in which the Spurs were out celebrating their championship over the Miami Heat. Duncan was assisting a clearly drunken teammate in walking to a car or hotel. When the paparazzi began to attempt to ask Duncan’s teammate questions, Duncan talks over his teammate so he did not end up getting himself in trouble by drunkenly saying something he should not have.
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki was the fifth winner of the Twyman Stokes teammate of the year award. Nowitzki has a similar career arc to Duncan. Although Dirk did not end up seeing as much team success as Duncan did through his career, Nowitzki is another player that is a perfect example of what it means to be a teammate and dedicated to your franchise.
Dirk is well on his way to the Hall of Fame once he becomes eligible, however, he is currently still in the limbo period. Dirk is a player in which you would be hard-pressed to find a former teammate that did not have something positive or had anything negative to say about him. Although his trip to stardom in the NBA was at times a rocky one, he had a pure heart through it all and would do anything for his teammates both on and off of the court.
Vince Carter
Vince Carter is the fourth winner of the Twyman Stokes teammate of the year award. Although Vince hopped from team to team throughout his career, especially towards the end, he was also a model teammate no matter where he went. Despite there being some reports that he was not the best teammate once things soured up in Toronto, every other stop in his long career, teammates had nothing negative to say.
To attest to the character of Carter, rather than ring chasing towards the end of his career, Carter rather joined rebuilding teams for minimum contracts so he could be a mentor and role model for the next generation of players.
History of the Award
The other winners of the award include Chauncey Billups (Los Angeles Clippers), Shane Battier (Miami Heat), Jamal Crawford (Minnesota Timberwolves), Mike Conley Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Jrue Holiday (New Orleans Pelicans), and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers).
