NBA AWARDS - DENVER’S CHAUNCEY BILLUPS WINS NBA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

A 12-year veteran, Billups was one of six divisional winners, which included Boston’s Ray Allen, Detroit’s Antonio McDyess, Golden State’s Ronny Turiaf, San Antonio’s Michael Finley and Washington’s Antawn Jamison. Billups received 82 first-place votes (2,478 total points) of a possible 336.

BILLUPS WINS SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

NEW YORK, NY USA

Friday May 22, 2009

In every sport there are good guys and bad guys. We're not referring to how they handle themselves on the field or court of play but how they conduct themselves with the media. We interviewed Chauncey Billups during his rookie season 1997/98 when he was with the Boston Celtics. From the start he was a gentleman and is in the good guy catagory.

Billups leadership value came into play this season when he was traded from the Detroit Pistons Nov. 3, 2008 where he was a member of their 2004 championship team. The Denver native gave the Nuggets an established floor leader and seasoned postseason performer. Since his arrival he has proved to be the missing link as he has helped his team to their first NBA Conference Finals since 1985 when Carmelo Anthony was a 1-year-old. The team is currently tied 1-1 in a seven game Western Conference Finals series with the Los Angeles Lakers. But there's some added spice to Billups 2008-2009 season.

The Nuggets guard is the recipient of the Joe Dumars Trophy presented to the 2008-09 NBA Sportsmanship Award winner. A 12-year veteran, Billups was one of six divisional winners, which included Boston’s Ray Allen, Detroit’s Antonio McDyess, Golden State’s Ronny Turiaf, San Antonio’s Michael Finley and Washington’s Antawn Jamison.

Billups received 82 first-place votes (2,478 total points) of a possible 336.

For the fifth consecutive year, NBA players voted on this award, with eleven points given for each first-place vote, nine points for each second-place vote, seven points for third, five points for fourth, three points for fifth and one point for each sixth-place vote received. Each team nominated one of its players for the award. Former NBA players Mike Bantom, John Crotty, Eddie Johnson, Jalen Rose, Tom "Satch" Sanders, Kenny Smith and Chris Webber then selected the six divisional winners.

The NBA will make a donation on behalf of Chauncey Billups to Porter-Billups Leadership Academy at Regis University, a program that provides academic and leadership training to at-risk inner city students from Denver, with a goal of helping students attend college.

The NBA will also make a donation to each of the divisional winner’s charities of choice: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation & Ray of Hope Foundation on behalf of Allen; American Cancer Society on behalf of McDyess and Turiaf; the Michael Finley Foundation on behalf of Finley; and Kaboom & Wizards Care on Jamison’s behalf.

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 efforts. The trophy is named for former Detroit Pistons guard and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the award’s first recipient.

2008-09 NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD VOTING RESULTS

ALL-TIME NBA SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD WINNERS

Inaugural: Joe Dumars (1995-96)

1996-97: Terrell Brandon, Cleveland

1997-98: Avery Johnson, San Antonio

1998-99: Hersey Hawkins, Seattle

1999-00: Eric Snow, Philadelphia

2000-01: David Robinson, San Antonio

2001-02: Steve Smith, San Antonio

2002-03: Ray Allen, Seattle

2003-04: P.J. Brown, New Orleans

2004-05: Grant Hill, Orlando

2005-06: Elton Brand, L.A. Clippers

2006-07: Luol Deng, Chicago

2007-08: Grant Hill, Phoenix

2008-09: Chauncey Billups, Denver

NBA