The man who helped keep the Los Angeles Clippers afloat when Blake Griffin went down has been recognized for his accomplishments.
Clippers guard Jamal Crawford was named the 2015-16 Sixth Man of the Year on Tuesday, receiving 51 first-place votes to beat Andre Iguodala of the Golden State Warriors.
Voting breakdown
Player | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
---|---|---|---|
Jamal Crawford | 51 | 23 | 17 |
Andre Iguodala | 33 | 35 | 18 |
Enes Kanter | 19 | 20 | 27 |
Will Barton | 15 | 21 | 20 |
It's the first time in NBA history that a player has won the award for a third time. Crawford also claimed it in the 2013-14 and 2009-10 seasons, and is the oldest player ever to win.
The 36-year-old averaged 14.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 26.9 minutes across 79 games this season, helping to propel an injury-riddled Clippers team to a 53-29 record despite missing their leading scorer for a large chunk of the year.
Los Angeles went 26-13 with Griffin out with a fractured hand, and Crawford averaged 15.6 points during that stretch.
He scored 30 or more points four times, including a season-high 37 against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 14 - a performance that included eight assists and six rebounds. He scored 20 or more points 20 times.