INQUIRER Sports

DETROIT--Chauncey Billups, who helped spark the Detroit Pistons to the second-best record in the National Basketball Association, was named winner of the league's citizenship award Monday.

The award, presented by a media panel of about 150 people, is given annually to an NBA player or coach for outstanding community service and charity work.

Billups won for his work in Detroit and Minneapolis with fund-raising efforts for children's charities and his hometown of Denver, where he provides a three-week college preparation summer camp.

Other finalists for the award were Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics, Ron Artest of the Sacramento Kings, Canadian Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns and Michael Redd of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Nash won the award last year and Garnett took the honor in 2006.