Minnesota Timberwolves Mike Conley was recently named the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award winner.

The Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award honors Jack Twyman and Maurice Stokes, whose storied friendship transcended their Hall of Fame accomplishments. Twyman and Stokes were teammates on the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals from 1955-58. In the last game of the 1957-58 regular season, Stokes sustained an injury that led to his falling into a coma days later and becoming permanently paralyzed. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic encephalopathy, a brain injury that damaged his motor-control center. Stokes was supported for the rest of his life by Twyman, who became his legal guardian and advocate.

Twyman helped organize the NBA's Maurice Stokes Memorial Basketball Game, which raised funds for Stokes' medical care and, after Stokes died in 1970 at age 36, for other players in need. In 2004, after years of lobbying by Twyman, Stokes was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Twyman, inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1983, died in 2012.

Conley is the second two-time award winner after taking home the honor in 2018-19 with the Memphis Grizzlies. Jrue Holliday has won the award three times (2019-20 [New Orleans Pelicans], 2021-22 [Milwaukee Bucks], 2022-23 [Milwaukee Bucks]) to be the only other multiple winner of the award. Chauncey Billups won the inaugural award in 2012-13 with the Los Angeles Clippers, while Shane Battier (Miami Heat, 2013-14), NBA Hall of Famer Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs, 2014-15), Vince Carter (Memphis Grizzlies, 2015-16), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks, 2016-17), Jamal Crawford (Minnesota Timberwolves, 2017-18), and Damian Lillard (Portland Trailblazers, 2020-21) have also bestowed the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award.

Stokes was a four-year letterwinner from 1951-55 for then the Saint Francis College "Frankies," leading the team to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in his final two seasons. The Frankies won 20 games in three of his four seasons and finished fourth in the 1955 NIT. Stokes was named the MVP for his efforts and was a second-team All-America selection in 1955. Stokes finished his career in Loretto with 2,282 points and 1,819 rebounds, even though the rebound statistic was not kept during his freshman year. Stokes also holds the single-game record for rebounds with 39 against John Carroll (Jan. 28, 1955) and posted 43 points against Dayton in the 1955 NIT.

To learn more about the friendship between the two men, click here for SFU professor Dr. Pat Farabaugh's book, An Unbreakable Bond: The Brotherhood of Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman.

Every year, 12 players, six from each conference, are nominated by a panel of NBA executives. NBA players then cast votes for the award, with 10 points given for each first-place vote, seven for a second-place vote, five points for third, three points for fourth, and one point for each fifth-place vote received. Regardless of the number of first-place votes, the player with the highest point total wins the award. The NBA presents the winner with the Twyman–Stokes Trophy and gives a $25,000 donation to a charity of the recipient's choice.

The finalists (listed alphabetically by last name) were Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings), Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Denver Nuggets), Mike Conley (Minnesota Timberwolves), Markelle Fultz (Orlando Magic), Al Horford (Boston Celtics), T.J. McConnell (Indiana Pacers), Larry Nance Jr. (New Orleans Pelicans), Georges Niang (Cleveland Cavaliers), Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks) and Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder).

Conley is in his 17th NBA season. In addition to being named the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year twice, he has won the NBA Sportsmanship Award a record four times.

Conley received 1,172 points (51 first-place votes) in the voting by NBA players. Bridges finished in second place with 1,041 points (47 first-place votes). Brunson finished in third place with 783 points (29 first-place votes). McConnell, the cousin of Saint Francis men's basketball assistant coach Luke McConnell, placed third (24 first-place votes). Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five points for each third-place vote, three points for each fourth-place vote, and one point for each fifth-place vote.

Credit NBA.com with the information regarding this year's winner and votes.