Check Out the NBPA Players’ Voice Award Winners Here

LOS ANGELES, CA, July 10, 2019 - The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is excited to announce the winners of the fifth annual NBPA Players’ Voice Awards, the only awards voted on exclusively by NBA players. The winners were revealed on the NBPA’s social media channels and celebrated yesterday at the Dream Hotel in Los Angeles as part of the “Players’ Night Out” event hosted by The Players’ Tribune.

“The NBPA Players’ Voice Awards have been a great forum for our members to acknowledge the very best in their game,” said Michele Roberts, Executive Director of the NBPA. “Being recognized by their peers for their ability, hard work and passion on and off the court is an honor for these players. We will continue to celebrate their accomplishments as we did at the Players’ Night Out.”

“It was incredible partnering with the NBPA this year as part of Players’ Night Out, especially to take part in the NBPA Players’ Voice Awards,” said Jeff Levick, CEO of The Players’ Tribune. “These unique awards align directly with our mission of giving athletes a platform that provides them with an authentic voice, and we want to congratulate all of the deserving winners.”

“It is amazing to be recognized by my peers as the best in the sneaker game and to be celebrated by the NBPA and The Players’ Tribune,” said P.J. Tucker, Winner of the 2019 NBPA Sneaker Champ Award.

The Players’ Night Out was an exclusive event celebrating the power of the athletes’ voice and their many different achievements. During the event, athletes, influencers and artists mingled while enjoying musical performances and short award ceremonies. The event also featured a sign-in wall, a gaming lounge and the NBPA’s Players’ Voice Art Gallery, which displayed the artwork specifically created for the 2019 PVA’s winners. The NBPA and THINK450 partnered with Compound, a creative agency, art gallery, production and recording studio based in the South Bronx to commission these unique pieces of art, which made their public debut at the Players’ Night Out and can also be seen on the NBPA’s social media channels.

The official sport style partner of the NBPA, Champion Athleticwear also contributed to the celebration of the 2019 PVA’s by creating custom jackets for all of the award winners. Check out their newest collections at Champion.com.

The 2019 NBPA Players’ Voice Awards were powered by the following sponsors: Champion, Compound, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), and ISAIA.

2019 NBPA Players’ Voice Award Winners:

• The NBPA MVP – Giannis Antetokounmpo 
• The NBPA Toughest To Guard – James Harden
• The NBPA Leader of the New School (Best Rookie) – Luka Doncic
• The NBPA X-Factor (Best Player off the Bench) – Lou Williams
• The NBPA Comeback Player presented by HSS – Gordon Hayward 
• The NBPA Mr. Clutch – Kevin Durant
• The NBPA Sneaker Champ – P.J. Tucker
• The NBPA Locksmith (Best Defender) – Rudy Gobert
• The NBPA Most Respected (Influential Veteran) – Dwyane Wade & Dirk Nowitzki
• The NBPA People’s Champ – LeBron James
• The NBPA Freshest (Best Style on and off the Court) presented by ISAIA – Russell Westbrook
• The NBPA Best Side Hustle (Best Off-Court Endeavors, in Fashion, Tech, Media, Art, etc.) – LeBron James
• The NBPA Backbone (Best Team Leader) – 30 winners from each NBA team

All media inquiries should be directed to elle.hagedorn@nbpa.com and jshi@rogersandcowan.com.

About the NBPA

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA’s mission is to protect and support the rights and talents of our players, magnify the power of their collective will, and amplify their voices as leaders who will transcend sport and society globally.

The NBPA advocates on behalf of the best interests of all NBA players, including the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements, the filing of grievances on behalf of the players, or counseling players on benefits, educational and post-NBA career opportunities.

In addition, the NBPA provides a forum for players to participate in union activities – including executive leadership roles, team representative positions, and global community outreach initiatives. The NBPA offers each NBA player the opportunity to get involved in the democratic institution that was created for, continues to exist for and is run by them.

About THINK450 

THINK450 is the innovation engine of the NBPA, charged with creating disruptive and substantive business relationships for the most marketable athletes on the planet. THINK450 represents every current NBA player and works with leading companies and brands across all industries to help its members capitalize on growth opportunities in the content, marketing, technology, and licensing arenas among others. For more information, please visit THINK450.com.

About Champion®

For 100 years Champion Athletic wear has offered a full line of innovative athletic apparel for men and women including activewear, sweats, tees, sports bras, team uniforms and accessories. Champion uses innovative design and state-of-the-art product testing to ensure uncompromised quality and innovative apparel for its consumers. Champion Athletic wear can be purchased at department stores, sporting goods, specialty retailers, and at Champion.com. Champion is a brand of Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE:HBI).

About COMPOUND

Creative marketing agency, Compound, is where art, music, sports, and fashion are fused, inspiring an atmosphere of innovation. The arcade of cultured art founded in 2007 extended its office space last July to the Compound Gallery; the first black owned art gallery in the South Bronx. The extended space with sky lit ceilings serves as an outlet for all forms of art, rental space, and activations. Visit thecmpd.com for more information.

About HSS 

Hospital for Special Surgery HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the ninth consecutive year) and No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2018-2019). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has one of the lowest infection rates in the country and was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. The global standard total knee replacement was developed at HSS in 1969. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State. In addition, HSS will be opening a new facility in Florida in late 2019. In 2018, HSS provided care to 139,000 patients and performed more than 32,000 surgical procedures, and people from all 50 U.S. states and 80 countries travelled to receive care at HSS. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. The HSS Global Innovation Institute was formed in 2016 to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is the world’s leading provider of education on musculoskeletal health, with its online learning platform offering more than 600 courses to more than 21,000 medical professional members worldwide. Through HSS Global Ventures, the institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally.

About ISAIA 

Born in Naples, Italy in the 1920’s, ISAIA is a luxury lifestyle brand that men with personality and taste gravitate towards. With an obsession for details, each garment incorporates the essence of the Neapolitan sartorial tradition, re-interpreted in a contemporary way. Helmed by Gianluca Isaia as the third-generation CEO, ISAIA offers the ‘new gentleman’ some of the world’s most innovative and luxurious clothing options, while at the same time, urging each man to create his own sense of style. Distributed among the world’s finest stores and retailers across the globe including: the United States, Canada, Europe, UK, China, Russia and Japan - ISAIA is poised for growth and has recently added to its collection of stand-alone boutiques. For more information, please visit www.isaia.it

About The Players' Tribune

The Players’ Tribune (TPT) is a first-of-its-kind content platform that was developed by athletes for athletes to connect them with fans through the power of storytelling. By giving athletes the tools to create truly personal content and tell their stories, The Players’ Tribune is reimagining the world of sports and culture through the player’s point of view. More than 1,800 athletes have contributed to the platform through impactful and powerful long and short form stories, video series and audio. Founded by Derek Jeter in 2014, TPT provides unique insight into the daily sports conversation and brings fans closer than ever to the games they love. For more information visit www.theplayerstribune.com, or interact with the team on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.