Boston Celtics guard Derrick White has earned the NBA’s Sportsmanship Award for the 2025-26 season, the league announced today.
White’s recognition marks the second consecutive year a Celtics backcourt player has captured the honor; Jrue Holiday received the award last season before being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Established in 1995-96, the Sportsmanship Award—represented by the Joe Dumars Trophy—celebrates the player who best exemplifies fair play, integrity and respect on the court.
All 30 NBA teams submitted one nominee. A panel of league executives narrowed the list to six finalists, one from each division, and active players selected the winner. This season’s finalists were Bam Adebayo (Heat), Harrison Barnes (Spurs), Al Horford (Warriors), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), T.J. McConnell (Pacers) and White.
McConnell finished second in the balloting, picking up the most first-place votes (83) compared with White’s 77. However, White’s 113 second-place votes helped him finish with 2,827 total points, ahead of McConnell’s 2,566.
The 31-year-old White adds the accolade to a résumé that already includes a 2024 NBA championship, two NBA All-Defensive Second Team selections (2023, 2024) and a 2024 Olympic gold medal.
Source: Hoops Rumors
