Mike Conley wins NBA sportsmanship award

Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley (11) lays the ball up during the game at FedExForum, Memphis, April 9, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK, April 24, 2014 - Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy presented to the 2013-14 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner, the NBA announced today. Conley becomes the first Grizzlies player to receive the honor.

Conley (Southwest) was one of six divisional winners, which included Boston's Jeff Green (Atlantic), Chicago's Mike Dunleavy (Central), Phoenix's Channing Frye (Pacific), Portland's Damian Lillard (Northwest) and Washington's Bradley Beal (Southeast). Conley received 77 first-place votes (of a possible 334) and 2,335 total points overall. The NBA will make a $10,000 donation on behalf of Conley to his charity of choice, the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, specifically for research pertaining to sickle cell anemia.

For the 10th consecutive year, NBA players voted on this award, with eleven points given for each first-place vote, nine points for each second-place vote, seven points for third, five points for fourth, three points for fifth and one point for each sixth-place vote received. Each team nominated one of its players for the award. Former NBA players John Crotty, Antonio Davis, Eddie Johnson, Jalen Rose, and Isiah Thomas selected the six divisional winners from a pool of 30 team nominees.

The NBA will make a $5,000 donation to each of the divisional winner's charities of choice: a split donation between Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington for Beal; Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer for Dunleavy ; the Frye Family Foundation on behalf of Frye; the Cleveland Clinic Foundation on behalf of Green; a split donation between the San Francisco Bay Area and the Oregon/Southwestern Washington affiliates of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for Lillard.

The annual award reflects the ideals of sportsmanship - ethical behavior, fair play and integrity - in amateur and professional basketball, a key focus of the league's NBA Cares program efforts. The trophy is named for former Detroit Pistons guard and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the award's first recipient.