The NBA announced the 2025/26 finalists for a pair of awards on Tuesday, naming the six players who are eligible to win the Sportsmanship Award for this season, as well as the 12 players who are in the running to be named Teammate of the Year.
The Sportsmanship Award honors the player who “best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court,” per the NBA. Each of the league’s 30 teams nominates one of its players for the award, then a panel of league executives narrows that group to six finalists (one from each division) and current players voted for the winner.
The trophy for the Sportsmanship Award is named after Joe Dumars, the Hall-of-Fame guard who won the inaugural award back in ’95/96. This season’s finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
Bam Adebayo (Heat)- Harrison Barnes (Spurs)
- Al Horford (Warriors)
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
- T.J. McConnell (Pacers)
- Derrick White (Celtics)
Gilgeous-Alexander is the only one of this year’s finalists for the Sportsmanship Award who was also nominated last season. Whoever earns the honor for 2025/26 will be a first-time winner. Jrue Holiday took home the Joe Dumars Trophy a year ago.
Meanwhile, the NBA also announced its finalists for the Teammate of the Year award for 2025/26. According to the league, the player selected for the honor is “deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.”
The voting process is similar to the Sportsmanship Award — a panel of league executives selects 12 finalists (six from each conference) for the award, then current players vote on the winner.
Holiday is a three-time Teammate of the Year, having earned the honor in 2020, 2022, and 2023. He’s the only past recipient who is among this season’s group of finalists.
Those Teammate of the Year finalists are as follows (via Twitter):
- Desmond Bane (Magic)
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Pat Connaughton (Hornets)
- De’Aaron Fox (Spurs)
- Jeff Green (Rockets)
- Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers)
- DeAndre Jordan (Pelicans)
- Duncan Robinson (Pistons)
- Marcus Smart (Lakers)
- Jayson Tatum (Celtics)
- Garrett Temple (Raptors)
- Jaylin Williams (Thunder)
I’d vote for Jason Tatum for Teammate of the Year. Seems like he was at all our games in spite of his injury. Watched, praised the team. And was even worried about breaking up the Celtics great chemistry by coming back this year.
He showed up to work. Woo hoo.
Pat Connaughton of the Bucks?
Some old habits die hard. Fixed that, thanks.
Jaden Ivey? Too soon?
No, its the perfect time to joke about that psycho.
SGA and sportsmanship. Unethical hooper, lols.
Jaden Ivey? Too soon.
I didn’t see your post when I posted mine so My Bad. Even though apparently it was there an hour before mine.
Oh well. Great minds and all, lols.
Bam’s 83 disqualifies him from any Sportsmanship award.
Ah yes, we should all aspire to be more like the humanitarian Kobe Bryant was /s
…Did Kobe exhibit sportsmanship on the court?
Smart has come along way from hitting walls, punching glass and letting the coaching staff and playing group down.
El dice lo que siente