Who Votes For NBA Awards? Voting In NBA’s Top Awards
The NBA Awards are given every year to honor the NBA’s top players, coaches, and executives. The NBA awards include the MVP award, which is given to the most valuable player in basketball for that season; the Coach of the Year award, which is awarded to a coach who made outstanding contributions during that season; and various other awards such as Defensive Player of the Year Award. These types of NBA Awards are voted on by sportswriters, broadcasters, basketball fans, and NBA players, depending on the category.
Types of Awards, and Who Votes
There are a variety of NBA Awards that recognize excellence on the basketball court during the NBA season. The most publicized ones include Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player Of The Year Award, Rookie Of The Year Award, Sixth Man Of The Year award, etc.
Which is voted by selected members from all over North America. Including journalists and broadcasters who cover basketball games regularly throughout the season.
In addition to these popular awards. There are other less followed but equally important awards. Such as Coach Of The Year and NBA Executive Of The Year. That honors NBA’s best coaches and front office personnel.
Finals MVPs
One of the most esteemed honors given out in the NBA is the MVP of the Finals. A player receives it if they contribute to their team winning the NBA championship. And has made a huge contribution during that particular playoff run. Also, they played a significant role in the NBA Finals series of that year.
The award is decided by a panel of eleven media members. Who cast votes after the conclusion of the NBA Finals. This award was first presented after the 1969 NBA finals season. Since then this honor has been given to 21 players from all over North America. Including Michael Jordan (six times) and LeBron James (four times).
Most Valuable Player
The NBA MVP award is given to the player who contributed the most to his team’s success. Ever since the 1980-1981 season. The award has been decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, from USA and Canada. NBA fans have been allowed to vote online for NBA MVP as well, since 2010.
All-Star Game MVP
Another NBA Awards that is voted by the players who played in the NBA All-Star Game, and will be awarded to one of those selected players. Similar to other MVP awards, the All-Star Game MVP award is decided by a panel of media members.
Rookie of the Year
The NBA Rookie of the Year is an annual award that recognizes honorable play by a first-year NBA player. This NBA Award was established as part of the NBA’s 1952 season and has been handed out every year since then. Various sportswriters, and broadcasters cast NBA Rookie of the Year votes, by selecting their top three rookies.
Only five players can be nominated each year, as opposed to ten or more rookies, mainly because they had promising starts to their careers when this renowned award was first established. The number of NBA players who can be nominated for NBA Rookie of the Year has not been capped since 2008.
Defensive Player of the Year
The NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since 1982 to recognize the league’s best defensive player. This NBA award sees 124 sportswriters and broadcasters vote on who they think is deserving of this honor.
Coach of the Year
NBA Coach of the Year is an NBA Award that honors head coaches for their influence over both their team and other NBA players. It was inaugurated in 1962 after Red Auerbach, who coached the Boston Celtics to nine NBA championships between 1950-1966, became one of four recipients of this honor.
He won his first NBA trophy during the 1956 season as a coach with St. Louis Hawks but it wasn’t until he joined the Celtics that he received more awards consecutively from 1963-1965 seasons.
The voting process for NBA Coach Of The Year has been different since its inception; initially, two sportswriters were selected from each NBA divisional city to be part of ballot counting before 1969 when votes got changed into national ballots counted by media members.
Executive of the Year
The NBA Executive of the Year Award is given to executives for their excellence in working with NBA players, coaches, and other members of NBA teams.
This award was first introduced during the 1972-1973 NBA season as an honor only handed out by league officials but it became a voting process just like others where all 30 executives get involved in voting.
Most Improved Player
The NBA Most Improved Player Award is an NBA award given every year to players, who have improved the most from one season to another. It was first handed out during the 1985-1986 NBA season and has been annually awarded since then.
This NBA honor reflects so many NBA players’ stories of having a breakout year after several years of hard work in training camps or even before getting drafted into the team they are currently playing for.
Like other awards, the winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second, and third place selections.
Sixth-Man of the Year
The NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award is given to a player who made significant off-the-bench contributions. The NBA began this honor in 1983 and it has been awarded every year since then.
This award is also voted for, by NBA sportswriters, the same way the NBA All-Star Game MVP Award is voted for with a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters selecting their top five choices in this NBA award.
Other Honors
All-NBA Team
The NBA All-NBA Team is an annual honor that’s given by sportswriters to NBA players who they think performed best in each season.
There are four NBA teams, First, Second, and Third NBA Teams with the first team being selected exclusively by a panel of 124 journalists while 24 voters pick the second and third teams.
All-Rookie Team
The NBA All-Rookie Team is an NBA honor given to the top performers during each season’s NBA Rookie of the Year Award voting. This NBA award sees a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters vote on who they think performed best for this NBA award.
All-Defensive Team
The NBA All-Defensive Team is an NBA honor given to the top performers during each season’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award voting. Coaches voted for this award up until the 2013-2014 season, after it was handed to a panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters.
Even if they aren’t selected by voters or are already on one of the First, Second, or Third Teams, players who win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award are automatically voted to this NBA squad.
Shortlist of the NBA awards and who are responsible for the voting
Many groups, including sportswriters, broadcasters, and other media professionals, cast votes for the NBA awards. For each award, the NBA has formed a different voting body, and the voting processes can vary.
Here is a breakdown of the groups that vote on each award:
- Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award: The MVP award is voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. There are 100 voters in total, with each voter selecting a first-place, second-place, and third-place vote for the award.
- Rookie of the Year (ROY) Award: The ROY award is voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. There are 100 voters in total, with each voter selecting a first-place, second-place, and third-place vote for the award.
- Sixth Man of the Year Award: The Sixth Man of the Year award is voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. There are 100 voters in total, with each voter selecting a first-place, second-place, and third-place vote for the award.
- Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) Award: The DPOY award is voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. There are 100 voters in total, with each voter selecting a first-place, second-place, and third-place vote for the award.
- Most Improved Player (MIP) Award: The MIP award is voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. There are 100 voters in total, with each voter selecting a first-place, second-place, and third-place vote for the award.
- Coach of the Year Award: The Coach of the Year award is voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. There are 100 voters in total, with each voter selecting a first-place, second-place, and third-place vote for the award.
- All-NBA Teams: The All-NBA teams are voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. There are 100 voters in total, with each voter selecting two guards, two forwards, and one center for the first, second, and third teams.
It is significant to remember that media people that cover the NBA cast their votes for the awards. These voters are believed to cast their ballots impartially because they are not connected to any NBA teams or organizations. However, the NBA has strong rules in place to guarantee the validity of the voting process, including sanctions for voters who do not abide by the rules.
Finally, a group of American and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters casts ballots for the NBA awards. In order to protect the integrity of the voting process, it is expected of these voters to exercise some impartiality when casting their ballots. The league recognizes the individual accomplishments of its players and coaches in part through the NBA Awards.
When Are the NBA Awards Held?
These Awards are typically presented in late June, following the conclusion of the NBA Finals. In the 2016–2017 NBA season, the NBA held its inaugural NBA Awards.
NBA Awards have been held in New York since its inception. Before moving to other cities for a few years until it moved back to New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Where most of them are still being held today.
The awards are given out to recognize team and individual achievements in basketball. The same way other traditional North American sports give their respective trophies for them during annual NBA meetings.
The NBA awards ceremony is an annual event that honors the top players and coaches in the league for their outstanding performances during the regular season. The location of the NBA awards ceremony can vary from year to year, and the NBA has held the event in a number of different venues throughout its history.
Here is a breakdown of some of the different locations where the NBA awards ceremony has been held:
- Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, California: The NBA awards ceremony was first held at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica in 2017. The Barker Hangar is a large event space that can accommodate up to 3,000 guests.
- Basketball City at Pier 36, New York City: In 2018, the NBA awards ceremony was held at Basketball City at Pier 36 in New York City. This venue is a popular location for sports events and has hosted other NBA events in the past.
- Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, California: The NBA awards ceremony returned to the Barker Hangar in 2019. The venue was a popular choice for the event because of its large size and convenient location.
- AdventHealth Arena, Orlando, Florida: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NBA awards ceremony was held at the AdventHealth Arena in Orlando, Florida. The arena was also the location for the NBA’s “bubble” during the 2020 playoffs.
- Winspear Opera House, Dallas, Texas: The 2021 NBA awards ceremony was held at the Winspear Opera House in Dallas, Texas. The venue is a popular location for performing arts events and provided a unique setting for the NBA awards ceremony.
The location of the NBA awards ceremony can vary depending on a number of factors, including the availability of venues, the NBA’s schedule, and the preferences of the league and its partners. The NBA typically announces the location and date of the awards ceremony several months in advance, allowing fans and media members to plan accordingly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, NBA awards are given out every year to recognize NBA players and teams for their great achievements during the regular season.
We hope you found this blog post informative and can see why NBA awards are given to respective NBA players. If you still have any questions about the voting process of NBA awards, you can leave a comment below and we’ll be happy to answer them.
