The National Basketball Association (NBA) presents 12 annual awards to recognize its teams and players for their accomplishments. The NBA championship trophy is called the Larry O'Brien Trophy. First introduced in the 1978 NBA Finals, it is awarded annually to the winner of the NBA Finals.
The NBA's championship trophy was first awarded after the inaugural NBA Finals in 1947. In 1964, it was named after Walter A. Brown, in honor of the original owner of the Boston Celtics who was instrumental in merging the Basketball Association of America and the National Basketball League into the NBA in 1949. The Brown Trophy remained in use until 1978, when a new trophy design was introduced and first presented, though it retained the Walter A. Brown title. In 1984, the new trophy was renamed to honor former NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien, who served from 1975 to 1984.
The NBA's first individual awards were the All-Star Game Most Valuable Player and the Rookie of the Year awards, both of which made their first appearance in 1953. First awarded in 1956, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is presented to the best performing player of the regular NBA season. The only individual award awarded in the NBA Finals is the Bill Russell Finals Most Valuable Player award, which was first presented in 1969. The Executive of the Year award is the only award not presented by the NBA. Though it is presented annually by Sporting News, it is officially recognized by the NBA.
Aside from annual awards, the league also awards players and coaches weekly and monthly awards.
Team trophies
Individual awards
| Award | Created | Description | Most recent winner(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All-Star Game Most Valuable Player | 1953 | Awarded to the best performing player of the annual NBA All-Star Game as voted by a panel of media members. | Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City Thunder) | |
| Rookie of the Year (Eddie Gottlieb Trophy) |
1953 | Awarded to the top rookie of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers) | |
| Most Valuable Player (Maurice Podoloff Trophy) |
1956 | Awarded to the best performing player of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls) | |
| Coach of the Year (Red Auerbach Trophy) |
1963 | Awarded to the best coach of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Tom Thibodeau (Chicago Bulls) | |
| Bill Russell Finals Most Valuable Player | 1969 | Named after Bill Russell; awarded to the best performing player of the NBA Finals as voted by a panel of nine media members. | Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) | |
| Executive of the Year | 1973 | Awarded to the NBA's best front office executive as voted by executives from the league's 30 teams. | Gar Forman (Chicago Bulls) Pat Riley (Miami Heat) |
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| J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award | 1975 | Named after J. Walter Kennedy; awarded to a player, coach or trainer who shows "outstanding service and dedication to the community" as selected by the Professional Basketball Writers Association (PBWA). | Ron Artest (Los Angeles Lakers) | |
| Defensive Player of the Year | 1984 | Awarded to the top defensive player of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic) | |
| Sixth Man of the Year | 1984 | Awarded to the NBA's best performing player for his team coming off the bench as a substitute (or sixth man) as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers) | |
| Most Improved Player | 1986 | Awarded to the most improved player of the regular NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada. | Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves) | |
| Sportsmanship Award (Joe Dumars Trophy) |
1996 | Awarded to the player who most "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court—ethical behavior, fair play and integrity" as voted by NBA players. | Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors) |
Honors
| Honor | Created | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-NBA Team | 1947 | Awarded to the best players in the league following every NBA season as voted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. | |
| All-Rookie Team | 1963 | Awarded to the top rookies during the regular season as voted by NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. | |
| All-Defensive Team | 1969 | Awarded to the best defensive players during the regular season as voted by NBA head coaches; who are not allowed to vote for players on their own team. |
