Jrue Holiday wins NBA Sportsmanship Award for second time in career

Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday has won the NBA Sportsmanship Award for the second time in his career.

The Joe Dumars Trophy, which has been awarded since 1996, is given to the player who best exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, and the 34-year-old Holiday previously won it with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2020-21 season.

After each team nominated one player, a panel of league executives selected one finalist from each division. Current NBA players then voted for the winner.

Holiday received a total of 3,046 points in the voting. Jarrett Allen of the Cleveland Cavaliers finished second with 2,704 points, and Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks finished third with 2,640.

Celtics President Brad Stevens reacts

Celtics President Brad Stevens had only words of praise for this great basketball player who really did great things and who showed how important some other things are in sports. Stevens stresses that Jrue is a person who can be a role model for many around him.

“In my experience, some of the best competitors are those who pair a quiet confidence with humility, show respect for the competition with their own preparation and work, and have the stamina to navigate the ups and downs of a season with grit and perspective,” Celtics President Brad Stevens said. “There is no better example of this than Jrue. He is the ultimate teammate and sets a great example for those striving to compete with integrity. His game does his talking, and his impact, on and off the court, goes well beyond his game.”

Holiday is also a three-time winner of the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award and is a finalist for the 2024-25 NBA Social Justice Champion Award. He is a two-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist.