Since 2015, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has dished out the Players Voice Awards. The awards are by NBA players, for players—media and fans do not have a say in the winners, so these honors provide a glimpse into who garners the most respect from their peers.
"The PVA awards celebrate Players for on- and off-court achievements," the NBPA said in a press release. "The NBPA Players Voice Awards feature many unique categories from The Freshest, The Backbone and Mr. Clutch to MVP, Leader of the New School, Toughest to Guard and many others. Additionally, there are awards that recognize icons of the game—the player who has the most Global Impact and the Most Influential Veteran."
This year's edition features new honors to compete for:
The Players’ Voice Awards are coming & this is what to expect ⤵️
✅ New categories
✅ 9️⃣ artists taking it to the canvas to rep an award & recreate the essence of 🏀.
✅Cultural relevance
Want to know more about PVA 18’ & the artists? 👀the next tweets! #PlayersVoice
Below is the full list of 2018 Players Voice Awards categories:
The MVP Award
The Toughest To Guard Award
The Leader of the New School Award (best rookie)
The X-Factor Award (best off the bench)
Mr. Clutch Award
The Locksmith Award (best defender)
The Backbone (best team leader)
The Most Respected Award (influential veteran)
The People’s Champ Award
The Freshest Award (best style/fashion on and off the court)
The Best Side Hustle Award (best off-court endeavors, in fashion, tech, media, art, etc.)
The Sneaker Champ Award (best shoe game)
The NBPA has commissioned nine artists to create the awards. Past Players Voice MVPs: Russell Westbrook (2017), Steph Curry (2016), and James Harden (2015). The NBA's versions of those awards went to Westbrook (2017) and Curry (2015 and 2016). The discrepancies are always fascinating.
The awards are typically announced late in the summer. Last year, they were unveiled in mid-August.
