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Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy presented to the 2015-16 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner, the league announced Saturday. Conley, who previously won the award in 2013-14, joins Grant Hill (three) and Jason Kidd (two) as multiple winners since the award's inception in the 1995-96 season.
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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. The trophy is named for former Detroit Pistons guard and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the award's first recipient, in 1995-96.
Conley, 28, will be presented the Joe Dumars Trophy in a pregame presentation before Sunday's Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference first-round playoff series. The Spurs lead the best-of-seven series 3-0.
In 56 regular-season games this season, Conley averaged 15.3 points and 6.1 assists. He has been sidelined with an Achilles injury.
"I'm humbled to be recognized by the league again for an award that celebrates more than just winning on the court," Conley said in a statement. "This award is more than a trophy -- I'm able to celebrate it with my family, who helped instill the values of teamwork, as well as with my coaches, teammates and all of Grizz Nation."
Conley (Southwest) was one of six divisional winners, joining the Toronto Raptors' Luis Scola (Atlantic), the Chicago Bulls' Pau Gasol (Central), the Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard (Northwest), the Golden State Warriors' Shaun Livingston (Pacific) and 2014-15 winner Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks (Southeast).
The NBA will make a $10,000 donation on behalf of Conley to his charity of choice, Methodist Healthcare Foundation, with the money earmarked for the Methodist Sickle Cell Center. The NBA also will make $5,000 donations to the other five divisional winners' charities of choice.
Conley received 58 of 327 first-place votes and 2,209 total points from NBA players, who voted on the award for the 12th consecutive year. Korver came in second in the balloting with 2,155 points.
Each team nominated one of its players for the award. The six divisional winners from among 30 team nominees were selected by Mike Bantom, NBA executive vice president of referee operations; Kiki VanDeWeghe, NBA executive vice president of basketball operations; Roger Mason, NBPA deputy executive director; and NBA Cares Ambassadors Jason Collins and Bob Lanier, a Hall of Fame center.
