Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers (Getty Images/AFP
NEW YORK – Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard was selected the NBA Teammate of the Year in a vote of players, the league announced Thursday.
The award, first presented in 2013, recognizes the individual deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, dedication to team plus on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players.
A panel of league executives chose 12 nominees and current NBA players chose the winner with Lillard edging Phoenix’s Chris Paul 1,012-1,001 in weighted total points balloting with 10-7-5-3-1 points for a one through five placement on a ballot.
Paul was named first on 47 ballots to 40 for Lillard and each was named second on 32 ballots with Paul edging Lillard 48-47 in third-place ballots.
But Lillard was fourth on 37 ballots to only 19 for Paul and fifth on 42 ballots to only 10 for Paul to make the difference overall.
Miami’s Udonis Haslem was third on 893 points followed by Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, Boban Marjanovic of Dallas, Philadelphia’s Tobias Harris, Indiana’s Malcolm Brogdon, New York’s Theo Pinson, Denver’s Paul Millsap, Utah’s Joe Ingles, Brooklyn’s Joe Harris and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns.
Lillard, a nine-year NBA veteran, averaged 28.8 points, 7.5 assists and 4.2 rebounds in 67 games this season. The 30-year-old American was selected an NBA All-Star for the fourth consecutive season and sixth time overall, helping Portland to an eighth consecutive playoff appearance, the NBA’s longest active streak.