The J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1974–75 NBA season to a player, coach, or trainer who shows "outstanding service and dedication to the community".[1] It is the oldest citizenship and community service award in the NBA and is named in honor of James Walter Kennedy, the second commissioner (then president)[a] of the NBA, who served from 1963 to 1975.[2] The winner is selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA). The PBWA represents writers for newspapers, magazines and internet services who cover the NBA on a regular basis. Members of the PBWA nominate players for the award, and then a vote is taken by approximately 150 PBWA members. The player with the highest point total wins the award.[2] The award is usually given to a person who made the most charitable contribution to the community during the season. For instance, Kevin Garnett received the award in 2006 for donating $1.2 million toward the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.[3]
Since its inception, the award has been given to 34 different players. The Detroit Pistons have had the most winners, with a total of five. Only one season had joint winners—Michael Cooper and Rory Sparrow in the 1985–86 season. Vlade Divac of Yugoslavia (now Serbia), Dikembe Mutombo of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Canadians Steve Nash (born in South Africa) and Samuel Dalembert (born in Haiti) are the only winners who were not born in the United States. Mutombo is also the only player to win the award twice.[4] Frank Layden and Joe O'Toole were the only non-players to win the award. Layden, the 1983–84 award recipient, was the head coach for the Utah Jazz,[5] while O'Toole, the 1994–95 award recipient, was the sport trainer for the Atlanta Hawks.[6]
[edit] Winners
Magic Johnson won the award in the 1991–92 NBA season.
Dikembe Mutombo is the only person to have won the award twice.
David Robinson won the award in the 2002–03 NBA season.
Steve Nash won the award in the 2006–07 NBA season.
- a The official title of the position was NBA President until 1967 when it was changed to NBA Commissioner.[7]
- b Denotes seasons in which joint winners were named
- c Ron Artest changed his name into Metta World Peace on September 16, 2011.[8]
[edit] References
- General
- Specific
- ^ "Pistons G Chauncey Billups wins sportsmanship award". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?section=nba&id=3383252. Retrieved July 2, 2008.
- ^ a b "Snow Named Winner of J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. June 26, 2007. http://www.nba.com/news/snow_050427.html. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
- ^ "Garnett wins Kennedy Citizenship Award". USA Today. Associated Press. October 31, 2006. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/twolves/2006-10-31-garnett-kennedy-award_x.htm. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
- ^ "Mutombo wins J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 23, 2009. http://www.nba.com/2009/news/04/23/citizenship.award.nba/index.html. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
- ^ "Frank Layden Coaching Record". basketball-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/laydefr99c.html. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
- ^ "Smith receives NBA's award for community service". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. April 29, 1998. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?s_hidethis=no&p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_dispstring=%22J.%20Walter%20Kennedy%20Citizenship%20Award%22,%20%22Joe%20O%27Toole%22&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=(%22J.%20Walter%20Kennedy%20Citizenship%20Award%22,%20%22Joe%20O%27Toole%22)&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no. Retrieved July 22, 2008.
- ^ Mike Monroe. "The Commissioners". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/commissioners.html. Retrieved July 8, 2008.
- ^ "Artest's Name Change to Metta World Peace Approved". The New York Times. September 16, 2011. http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/09/16/sports/basketball/AP-BKN-Artest-Name-Change.html. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
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