Damian Lillard and Stephen Curry among the NBA’s 12 finalists named for Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award

This Thursday, the NBA announced the final list of 12 candidates to earn the 2022/23 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.

This recognition honors the athletes that are deemed the best teammate based on role model to other players, leadership both on-and-off the court, selfless play during NBA contests, and general commitment to your squad.

The selected finalists are Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings), Udonis Haslem (Miami Heat), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Derrick Rose (New York Knicks), Grant Williams (Boston Celtics), Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Damion Lee (Phoenix Suns), Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), and Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks) who won the prize last year.

You can see the NBA’s official announcement in the tweet below:

The finalists for the 2022-23 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.

The annual honor recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on & off court leadership as a mentor & role model to other NBA players, & commitment & dedication to team. #NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/s1qFsCzF96

— NBA (@NBA) March 30, 2023

The award-winning candidates are based on votes handed by a panel of NBA executives who first selected the finalists, which consists of six players from each conference. Later, it will be up to their current teammates and fellow players who will finally decide from the pool of 12 nominees.

The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award is named after Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes’ story, whose friendship transcended the basketball court and even their own Hall of Fame achievements. Both players were teammates on the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals for three years in the 50s.

In their last game of 1958’s regular season, Stokes suffered an injury that led to him to falling into a coma and eventually becoming permanently paralyzed. As the patient was diagnosed with a post-traumatic brain injury, he was supported for the rest of his life by Twyman, becoming his legal guardian and advocate in the process.

Twyman eventually organized events to raise funds for Stokes’ medical support, but when his dear friend died in 1970 at the age of 36, he continued to help other players in need. Twyman, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in the 80s, died in 2012.

Bucks star Jrue Holiday won the award last year and is also nominated this 2023

Milwaukee guard Jrue Holiday, who recently dropped a career-high 51 points against the Indiana Pacers, is the current winner of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. However, the 32-year-old hasn’t just earned this award twice in the past, he’s also nominated for this season too.

Check out his team’s celebration back when he was a New Orleans athlete in the 2019/20 campaign:

Last year, as the Bucks guard recieved the honor for a second time, he was followed close in the ballot boxes by Dallas Mavericks’ Boban Marjanović and Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan.

Check out the all-time list of winners of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award:

2021-22 — Jrue Holiday, Milwaukee Bucks

2020-21 — Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

2019-20 — Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans

2018-19 — Mike Conley, Memphis Grizzlies

2017-18 — Jamal Crawford, Minnesota Timberwolves

2016-17 — Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

2015-16 — Vince Carter, Memphis Grizzlies

2014-15 — Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

2013-14 — Shane Battier, Miami Heat

2012-13 — Chauncey Billups, Los Angeles Clippers