NEW YORK, May 8 -- Philadelphia 76ers guard Aaron McKie, who finished the regular season as the team's runnerup in scoring and assists, Tuesday was named the winner of the NBA Sixth Man Award. He received 57 of a possible 124 votes from a league-wide media to beat out Milwaukee Bucks forward Tim Thomas, a distant second with 27 votes.
The 6-5, 209-pound McKie averaged career-highs with 11.6 points, 5.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.39 steals and 31.5 minutes while coming off the bench in 43 of 76 games this season.
McKie, in his seventh NBA season, helped the Sixers compile the best record in the Eastern Conference at 56-26, and their first Atlantic Division title since 1990. He becomes the second Philadelphia player to win the award. Forward Bobby Jones was honored as the inaugural recipient in the 1982-83 campaign.
It is the second major award for the Sixers. Center Dikembe Mutombo, acquired by Philadelphia at the trade deadline from Atlanta, was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on April 23.
The Sixers may pick up two more awards as Allen Iverson and Larry Brown are strong candidates for Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year, respectively.
Thomas averaged 12.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per outing in 76 games with the Bucks.
Forward LaPhonso Ellis of the Minnesota Timberwolves finished third with 10 votes and guard Bobby Jackson of the Sacramento Kings was fourth with nine votes.
The 124-member voting panel consisted of 37 national team members and three media members who cover the NBA regularly from each of the league's 29 cities.
