Darius Garland, Kevin Love nominated for 2021-22 NBA season awards
Today, members of the Cleveland Cavaliers were nominated for awards from the 2021-22 NBA season. Darius Garland, who is a likely candidate for Most Improved Player, was nominated for the 2021-22 NBA Sportsmanship Award, which, according to the NBA, honors the player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court. Kevin Love, meanwhile, was named a finalist for the 2021-22 Twyman Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. The award Love is in running for recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to their team.
Garland was chosen by a panel of league executives who selected one finalist from each of the NBA’s six divisions from a pool of 30 players. Garland will be competing with Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo, Phoenix Suns wing Mikal Bridges, Denver Nuggets forward Jeff Green, Memphis Grizzlies young star Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brooklyn Nets reserve guard Patty Mills. Current NBA players will then select the winner from this list of six finalists.
Love, meanwhile, was chosen by a panel of league executives, with six candidates being selected from each conference. The other finalists are Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan, Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, Miami’s Udonis Haslem, Boston Celtics big man Grant Williams, Dallas Mavericks big man Boban Marjanovic, Utah Jazz forward Rudy Gay, Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala, Phoenix Suns star Chris Paul, Memphis big man Jaren Jackson Jr. and Denver’s Jeff Green. Current NBA players will then select the winner from this list of 12 finalists.