Awards show will mix hoops, honors
What you need to know about the inaugural NBA Awards show. What are the NBA Awards? A one-night event to honor the league’s top players, coaches and executives for their contributions, on and off the court, during the 2016-17 season. Where does the show take place? Basketball City at Pier 36 in New York. When is the show being televised? It will air live at 9 p.m. ET Monday on TNT and will be hosted by Grammy Award-winning artist Drake. Why did the NBA change
the award format? Instead of announcing regular-season award winners separately during the playoffs, the NBA opted to pack everything into one star-studded event, speaking to the league’s priority of reaching its fans in new and unique ways.
“We’re talking about bringing together the best players in our league, together with celebrities and legends, our teams and ownership,” NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who likened the event to the Golden Globes, told USA TODAY Sports in March. “It’s a true celebration (and) a fun night to celebrate the game of basketball on a global basis.”
Who are the award nominees? The show will reveal dozens of award winners, including: MVP: Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden. Coach of the Year: Mike D’Antoni, Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra. Rookie of the Year: Malcolm Brogdon, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric. Most Improved Player: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Nikola Jokic. Defensive Player of the
Year: Rudy Gobert, Draymond Green, Kawhi Leonard.
Sixth Man: Andre Iguodala, Eric Gordon, Lou Williams.
The NBA’s Executive of the Year, Teammate of the Year, AllRookie and All-Defensive teams and winners of the Sportsmanship and Community Assist awards also will be announced during the broadcast.
The show will feature new fanvoted awards, too, including Dunk of the Year, Best Style, Block of the Year, Assist of the Year, Game Winner of the Year, Top Performance of the Year and Best Playoff Moment.