NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum have been selected to the 2021-22 Kia All-NBA First Team.

Antetokounmpo was the only player to receive All-NBA First Team votes on all 100 ballots (500 total points), earning his fourth consecutive selection to the First Team and sixth All-NBA Team honor overall (First Team, Second Team and Third Team).  This is the third All-NBA First Team selection each for Dončić (476 points) and Jokić (476 points), the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player.  Booker (460 points) is making his debut on the All-NBA Team.  Tatum (390 points) joins Booker as a first-time selection to the All-NBA First Team.

With the selection of Antetokounmpo (27 years old), Dončić (23), Jokić (27), Booker (25) and Tatum (24), the Kia All-NBA First Team is made up entirely of players age 27 or younger for the first time in 67 years (1954-55 season).  Dončić is the fourth player in NBA history to be named to the All-NBA First Team three or more times before turning 24, joining Tim Duncan, Kevin Durant and Max Zaslofsky.

The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Second Team consists of Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (414 points), Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (301 points), Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant (276 points), Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (274 points) and Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan (184 points).

Embiid, the 2021-22 NBA scoring champion, has been named to the All-NBA Second Team for the fourth time in the last five seasons.  Morant, the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Improved Player, is an All-NBA Team honoree for the first time.  This is the 10^th All-NBA Team selection for Durant, the eighth for Curry and the third for DeRozan.

The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Third Team is composed of Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (174 points), Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (169 points), Suns guard Chris Paul (114 points), Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (110 points) and Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (63 points).

This is the second All-NBA Team honor for both Towns and Siakam and the first for Young.  James has extended his NBA record for most All-NBA Team selections to 18.  Paul has been voted to the All-NBA Team for the 11^th time, the second-most selections among active players behind James.

The 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.  Players were awarded five points for each vote to the All-NBA First Team, three points for each vote to the Second Team and one point for each vote to the Third Team.  Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly.  Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most voting points.

The voting results for the 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Team are below.  The “Total Points” category represents voting points that players received at any position, not just the position at which they are listed.  The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

Below are the other players who received votes for the 2021-22 Kia All-NBA Team, listed at the position at which they received the most voting points.  The “Total Points” category represents voting points that players received at any position, not just the position at which they are listed.

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NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart was named the 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year. It marks the first NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award for Smart, who becomes the first guard to earn the honor since Gary Payton in the 1995-96 season. Smart is also the second player to win the award with the Celtics, joining Kevin Garnett (2007-08).

Smart received 257 points (37 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Phoenix Suns forward Mikal Bridges finished in second place with 202 points (22 first-place votes). Utah Jazz center and three-time Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert finished in third place with 136 points (12 first-place votes). Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

A starter in all 71 of his games played in the 2021-22 regular season, the 6-4 Smart ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.68) and tied for sixth in total steals (119). He had 19 games with three or more steals, including two games with a season-high five steals.

Smart, 28, ranked among the league leaders in several “hustle” categories, finishing tied for fourth in the NBA in loose balls recovered (75) and tied for 10th in both deflections (206) and charges drawn (16). He also set a career high in defensive rebounds per game (3.2).

Behind Smart, the Celtics led the NBA in defensive rating (106.2) and points allowed per game (104.5) and held opponents to the lowest field goal percentage (43.4) and three-point field goal percentage (33.9). The strong defense helped propel the Celtics to a 51-31 record and the second seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2022 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel.

An eight-year NBA veteran, Smart has been selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team twice (2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons). He also won the NBA Hustle Award for the 2018-19 season. This season, Smart averaged 12.1 points, a career-high 5.9 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 32.3 minutes per game.

The voting results for the 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

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CHARLOTTE – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was named recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, the NBA announced. He is the third player to win the annual award with Charlotte, joining Larry Johnson (1991-92) and Emeka Okafor (2004-05).

Ball received 84 first-place votes and earned 465 total points from a global panel of 99 sportswriters and broadcasters. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards received the other 15 first-place votes and finished in second place with 309 points. Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton finished in third place with 114 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.59 steals in 28.8 minutes in 51 games (31 starts), leading all rookies in assists and steals and ranking second in points and rebounds. He is the seventh rookie to average at least 15.0 points, 6.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.50 steals in a season since steals became an official statistic in the 1973-74 season, joining Magic Johnson (1979-80), Penny Hardaway (1993-94), Steve Francis (1999-00), Chris Paul (2005-06), Michael Carter-Williams (2013-14) and Ben Simmons (2017-18). Ball was one of two NBA players to reach all four of those averages this season, along with Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.

On Jan. 9, Ball recorded 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against the Atlanta Hawks at 19 years, 140 days old, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to have a triple-double. In other standout performances, Ball posted a career-high 34 points, eight assists and zero turnovers against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 5 in his third career start, and he had 30 points, eight assists, six rebounds and four steals against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 1. Despite missing 21 games with a wrist injury, Ball finished with the second-most assists (313) and third-most three-pointers made (92) by a rookie in Hornets history.

Ball was selected as the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the first three months of the season (December/January, February and March). He was also named to the U.S. Team for the 2021 NBA Rising Stars rosters.

Charlotte selected Ball with the third overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Ball played for the Illawara Hawks of Australia’s National Basketball League during the 2019-20 season, where he was named the NBL Rookie of the Year.

The Kia NBA Rookie of the Year trophy is named in honor of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Eddie Gottlieb, one of the NBA’s founders. Gottlieb coached the Philadelphia Warriors to the 1946-47 championship in the league’s first season.

The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Voting Results

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NEW YORK – Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards were unanimously selected to the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the NBA announced today.  Ball, the 2020-21 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, and Edwards received NBA All-Rookie First Team votes on all 99 ballots from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters.

Joining Ball and Edwards (198 total points each) on the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie First Team are Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton (197 points; 98 First Team votes), Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey (162 points; 63 First Team votes) and Houston Rockets forward Jae’Sean Tate (154 points; 57 First Team votes).

Ball led first-year NBA players in assists (6.1 apg) and steals (1.59 spg) and ranked second in scoring (15.7 ppg) and rebounding (5.9 rpg).  He won the first three Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards.  Edwards, the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, averaged a rookie-high 19.3 points per game.  He was named the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month in each of the final three months of the season.

Haliburton, who won the first two Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards, ranked third among rookies in scoring (13.0 ppg) and second in assists (5.3 apg).  Bey, the 19^th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, made a rookie-leading 175 three-pointers and was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 8.  Tate, who was not selected in the 2018 NBA Draft, averaged 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds with the Rockets after playing last season for the Sydney Kings in Australia’s National Basketball League.

The 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley (148 points), Memphis Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane (88), Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (71), Cleveland Cavaliers guard-forward Isaac Okoro (53) and Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (50).

The media voting panel selected five players for the NBA All-Rookie First Team and five players for the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at any position.  Players received two points for each First Team vote and one point for each Second Team vote.

The voting results for the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Team are below.  The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

Below are the other players who received votes for the 2020-21 NBA All-Rookie Team.

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NEW YORK – Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, the 2020-21 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons lead the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced. Both players received NBA All-Defensive First Team votes on all 100 ballots to finish with 200 points each.

Joining Gobert and Simmons on the NBA All-Defensive First Team are Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (176 points; 80 First Team votes) and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (157 points; 65 First Team votes) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (135 points; 43 first Team votes).

Gobert, the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the third time in the last four seasons, has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fifth season in a row. This marks the second straight First Team selection for Simmons, the runner-up for Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year this season. Simmons helped the 76ers finish with the NBA’s second-best defensive rating in the regular season, one spot ahead of the Gobert-led Jazz.

Green has been selected to the NBA All-Defensive First Team for the fourth time to go with two Second Team honors. Holiday is a First Team honoree for the second time. Antetokounmpo, the 2019-20 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, has earned his third consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team selection.

The 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Second Team consists of Miami Heat forward Bam Adebayo (111 points) and guard Jimmy Butler (111), 76ers center Joel Embiid (87) and guard Matisse Thybulle (63), and LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (43).

Leonard has been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team (First Team and Second Team) for the seventh time. This is the fifth NBA All-Defensive Team selection for Butler, the third for Embiid and the second for Adebayo. Thybulle is making his All-Defensive Team debut in his second NBA season.

The NBA All-Defensive Team was selected by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Players were awarded two points for each vote to the NBA All-Defensive First Team and one point for each vote to the Second Team. Voters selected two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, choosing players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position at which they received the most votes.

The voting results for the 2020-21 NBA All-Defensive Team:

(Balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards).

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NEW YORK – (Source: Official News Release) – New York Knicks forward Julius Randle was named the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Improved Player, the NBA announced.

A first-time NBA All-Star selection in his seventh season, Randle becomes the first player to win the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award with New York. The annual award, which was first presented in the 1985-86 season, is designed to honor an up-and-coming player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons.

Randle received 98 first-place votes and earned 493 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant received the other two first-place votes and finished in second place with 140 points. Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. finished in third place with 138 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

In his second season with the Knicks, Randle averaged 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 6.0 assists in an NBA-high 37.6 minutes in 71 games. He set career highs for averages in points and assists and matched his career high in rebounds, ranking in the top 20 in the NBA in all three categories. The 6-9 Randle is the sixth player in NBA history to average at least 24.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in a season, joining Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokić (who also did it this season), Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook.

Randle made a career-high 160 three-pointers in 2020-21, eight fewer than his total for the previous five seasons combined (168). He shot 40.1 percent from three-point range, well above his career mark of 29.5 percent entering the season. Randle also shot a career-high 81.1 percent from the free throw line.

Selected as a reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, Randle tied for eighth in the league in double-doubles with 41 and tied for seventh in triple-doubles with six. Randle was named the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month for April and the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 17.

Behind Randle, the Knicks (41-31) finish tied for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. New York made the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season.

Randle, 26, signed with the Knicks as a free agent on July 9, 2019. Before joining New York, he played his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers and one season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Randle entered this season with career averages of 16.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists.

The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.

Below is the all-time list of winners of the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award.

KIA NBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD WINNERS

1985-86 – Alvin Robertson, San Antonio
1986-87 – Dale Ellis, Seattle
1987-88 – Kevin Duckworth, Portland
1988-89 – Kevin Johnson, Phoenix
1989-90 – Rony Seikaly, Miami
1990-91 – Scott Skiles, Orlando
1991-92 – Pervis Ellison, Washington
1992-93 – Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Denver
1993-94 – Don MacLean, Washington
1994-95 – Dana Barros, Philadelphia
1995-96 – Gheorghe Muresan, Washington
1996-97 – Isaac Austin, Miami

1997-98 – Alan Henderson, Atlanta
1998-99 – Darrell Armstrong, Orlando
1999-00 – Jalen Rose, Indiana
2000-01 – Tracy McGrady, Orlando
2001-02 – Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana
2002-03 – Gilbert Arenas, Golden State
2003-04 – Zach Randolph, Portland
2004-05 – Bobby Simmons, LA Clippers
2005-06 – Boris Diaw, Phoenix
2006-07 – Monta Ellis, Golden State
2007-08 – Hedo Türkoğlu, Orlando
2008-09 – Danny Granger, Indiana

2009-10 – Aaron Brooks, Houston
2010-11 – Kevin Love, Minnesota
2011-12 – Ryan Anderson, Orlando
2012-13 – Paul George, Indiana
2013-14 – Goran Dragić, Phoenix
2014-15 – Jimmy Butler, Chicago
2015-16 – CJ McCollum, Portland
2016-17 – Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee
2017-18 – Victor Oladipo, Indiana
2018-19 – Pascal Siakam, Toronto
2019-20 – Brandon Ingram, New Orleans
2020-21 – Julius Randle, New York

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NEW YORK – (Source: Official News Release) – Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson won the 2020-21 Kia NBA Sixth Man Award for his contributions in a reserve role, the NBA announced. This is the first Sixth Man honor for Clarkson, who becomes the first player to win the annual award with the Jazz.

Clarkson received 65 first-place votes and earned 407 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. Utah forward Joe Ingles finished in second place with 272 points (34 first-place votes), making this the first time that teammates hold the top two spots in voting for the Kia NBA Sixth Man Award. New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose finished in third place with 77 points (one first-place vote).

Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote. To be eligible for the Kia NBA Sixth Man Award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started.

Clarkson averaged a career-high 18.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 26.7 minutes in 68 games (one start). His scoring average of 18.3 points as a reserve was the highest in the NBA. Clarkson made a career-high 208 three-pointers overall (seventh in the NBA among all players) and a league-high 203 as a reserve. The 203 three-pointers are the fourth-highest single-season total off the bench in NBA history. He also ranked ninth in the NBA in free throw percentage this season (89.6).

Playing his first full season with Utah and seventh in the NBA, Clarkson recorded two games with at least 40 points, five games with at least 30 points and 23 games with at least 20 points off the bench. He scored 40 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Feb. 15 and 41 points against the Golden State Warriors on May 10, giving him two of the five 40-point games off the bench in Jazz history.

Clarkson joined Ingles in helping Utah finish with an NBA-best 52-20 record and the fifth-highest single-season winning percentage in franchise history (.722). The Jazz earned the top seed in the Western Conference for the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

Clarkson, 28, was acquired by Utah in a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 24, 2019. He re-signed with the Jazz on Nov. 23, 2020. Clarkson, the 46th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, has career averages of 15.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 521 games. He played with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cavaliers before joining the Jazz.

The voting results for the 2020-21 Kia NBA Sixth Man Award are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP. Complete ballots for each voter will be posted at PR.NBA.com after the announcement of all end-of-season awards.

KIA NBA SIXTH MAN AWARD WINNERS

1982-83 – Bobby Jones, Philadelphia
1983-84 – Kevin McHale, Boston
1984-85 – Kevin McHale, Boston
1985-86 – Bill Walton, Boston
1986-87 – Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee
1987-88 – Roy Tarpley, Dallas
1988-89 – Eddie Johnson, Phoenix
1989-90 – Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee
1990-91 – Detlef Schrempf, Indiana
1991-92 – Detlef Schrempf, Indiana
1992-93 – Clifford Robinson, Portland
1993-94 – Dell Curry, Charlotte
1994-95 – Anthony Mason, New York

1995-96 – Toni Kukoc, Chicago
1996-97 – John Starks, New York
1997-98 – Danny Manning, Phoenix
1998-99 – Darrell Armstrong, Orlando
1999-00 – Rodney Rogers, Phoenix
2000-01 – Aaron McKie, Philadelphia
2001-02 – Corliss Williamson, Detroit
2002-03 – Bobby Jackson, Sacramento
2003-04 – Antawn Jamison, Dallas
2004-05 – Ben Gordon, Chicago
2005-06 – Mike Miller, Memphis
2006-07 – Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix
2007-08 – Manu Ginóbili, San Antonio

2008-09 – Jason Terry, Dallas
2009-10 – Jamal Crawford, Atlanta
2010-11 – Lamar Odom, L.A. Lakers
2011-12 – James Harden, Oklahoma City
2012-13 – J.R. Smith, New York
2013-14 – Jamal Crawford, LA Clippers
2014-15 – Lou Williams, Toronto
2015-16 – Jamal Crawford, LA Clippers
2016-17 – Eric Gordon, Houston
2017-18 – Lou Williams, LA Clippers
2018-19 – Lou Williams, LA Clippers
2019-20 – Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers
2020-21 – Jordan Clarkson, Utah

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NEW YORK – The NBA announced the finalists for six awards that honor top performers for the 2020-21 regular season: NBA Coach of the Year, Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Kia NBA Most Improved Player, Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and Kia NBA Sixth Man.

The three finalists for each annual award, based on voting results from a global panel of sports media and sports/game broadcasters, are listed in alphabetical order below:

NBA Coach of the Year

Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns

Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year

Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors
Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers

Kia NBA Most Improved Player

Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons
Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
Julius Randle, New York Knicks

Kia NBA Most Valuable Player

Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets

Kia NBA Rookie of the Year

LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings

Kia NBA Sixth Man

Jordan Clarkson, Utah Jazz
Joe Ingles, Utah Jazz
Derrick Rose, New York Knicks

The NBA on TNT studio and game crew will announce the winner of each award during coverage of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

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