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Last night was the inaugural edition of the NBA Awards show, and Kemba Walker took home the Sportsmanship Award.
CONGRATULATIONS TO @KEMBAWALKER THE RECIPIENT OF THE 2017 SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD!!!! #NBAAwards #BuzzCity pic.twitter.com/vxNN4UPEfo
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) June 27, 2017
The award, officially called the Joe Dumars trophy, is given to a player that exemplifies “principles of sportsmanship, fair play and integrity.” One member from each NBA team casts a vote, which makes it a distinguished award voted on by players, rather than the media. Recent winners include Mike Conley and Kyle Korver. It’s the first time a Charlotte Hornets player has been awarded the trophy.
“I’m honored to be recognized by the NBA and my peers with an award that acknowledges that basketball is more than just a game,” said Walker last night.
Here is full video of Walker acceptance speech:
"To have their respect, that's huge." @KembaWalker accepts the 2016-2017 @NBA Sportsmanship Award. #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/efu6B17p8i
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 27, 2017
The award caps off a great individual season for Walker, who was named to the All-Star team for the first time last February. It’s a well deserved award for the Hornets captain.