The NBA Sportsmanship Award is presented annually to the player who epitomizes the spirit of the game and sportsmanship ideals on the court. The winner of this award demonstrates high integrity and fair play throughout the season.
The award doesn’t demand excellence in play. However, players must follow the NBA sportsmanship policy that says the player must shake hands with opponents whether they win or lose, must not argue with the coaches, referees, fans, and never tease or taunt opponents.
All NBA teams nominate one player from their roster to compete for this award. Once the regular season is over, players start voting for the award. 11 points are given for each first-place vote, nine for second, seven for third, five points for fourth, three for fifth and one point for sixth. At the end of the voting, the player who receives the highest points wins the award, irrespective of the number of first place votes he receives.
Below is the list of winners of the NBA Sportsmanship Award till date:
| Season | Player | Position | Nationality | Team |
| 1995–96 | Joe Dumars | Guard | United States | Detroit Pistons |
| 1996–97 | Terrell Brandon | Guard | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 1997–98 | Avery Johnson | Guard | United States | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1998–99 | Hersey Hawkins | Guard | United States | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1999–00 | Eric Snow | Guard | United States | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2000–01 | David Robinson | Center | United States | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2001–02 | Steve Smith | Guard | United States | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2002–03 | Ray Allen | Guard | United States | Seattle SuperSonics |
| 2003–04 | P. J. Brown | Center/forward | United States | New Orleans Hornets |
| 2004–05 | Grant Hill | Forward | United States | Orlando Magic |
| 2005–06 | Elton Brand | Forward | United States | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2006–07 | Luol Deng | Forward | United Kingdom | Chicago Bulls |
| 2007–08 | Grant Hill | Forward | United States | Phoenix Suns |
| 2008–09 | Chauncey Billups | Guard | United States | Denver Nuggets |
| 2009–10 | Grant Hill | Forward | United States | Phoenix Suns |
| 2010–11 | Stephen Curry | Guard | United States | Golden State Warriors |
| 2011–12 | Jason Kidd | Guard | United States | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2012–13 | Jason Kidd | Guard | United States | New York Knicks |
| 2013–14 | Mike Conley | Guard | United States | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2014–15 | Kyle Korver | Guard/forward | United States | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2015–16 | Mike Conley | Guard | United States | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2016–17 | Kemba Walker | Guard | United States | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2017–18 | Kemba Walker | Guard | United States | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2018–19 | Mike Conley | Guard | United States | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2019–20 | Vince Carter | Forward | United States | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2020–21 | Jrue Holiday | Guard | United States | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2021–22 | Patty Mills | Guard | Australia | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2022–23 | Mike Conley | Guard | United States | Minnesota Timberwolves |
The below lists all players who have won the NBA Sportsmanship Award multiple times:
| Rank | Player | Team | No. | Years |
| 1 | Mike Conley | Memphis Grizzlies , Minnesota Timberwolves | 4 | 2014, 2016, 2019, 2023 |
| 2 | Grant Hill | Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns | 3 | 2005, 2008, 2010 |
| 3 | Jason Kidd | Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks | 2 | 2012, 2013 |
| Kemba Walker | Charlotte Hornets | 2017, 2018 |
FAQs
A. Mike Conley has best represented the ideals of sportsmanship on court and has won the Sportsmanship Award four-times.
A. Mike Conley, Darius Garland, Jalen Brunson, Bam Adebayo, Harrison Barnes, and Boban Marjanovic were the finalists for the NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2022-23.
A. NBA sportsmanship policy asks not to tease or taunt an opponent, never argue with coaches, referees, fans and opponents and shake hands with your opponents whether you lose or win the game.
A. Stephen Curry won the Sportsmanship Award in 2010-11 with 2,445 points.
