NBA Executive of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general manager. Before 2009, the Executive of the Year was presented annually by Sporting News, but was officially recognized by the NBA.[1] Since 2009, the award has been awarded by the NBA.[2] Voting is conducted by executives from the league's 30 teams. The person with the most votes wins the award.[3]
Since its inception, the award has been given to 28 different general managers. Jerry Colangelo, the first general manager for the Phoenix Suns, is the only person to win the award four times. Bob Bass, R. C. Buford, Wayne Embry, Bob Ferry, Stan Kasten, Jerry Krause, Bob Myers, Geoff Petrie, Jerry West, as well as Jerry Colangelo's son Bryan Colangelo have all won the award twice.[4] All of the award winners were born in the United States until then–Denver Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri, who was born in England, won the award in 2013. Larry Bird, Frank Layden and Pat Riley join Red Auerbach as the only recipients to have also received NBA Coach of the Year. Bird is also the only winner to receive the NBA Most Valuable Player in addition to either of the Coach or Executive of the Year awards.[5]
Winners




^ | Denotes executive who is still active in the NBA |
* | Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
*^ | Active executive who has been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame |
Bold | Winning executive's team won the NBA Finals the same season |
Person (X) | Denotes the number of times the executive has won the award |
Season | Executive | Nationality | Team |
---|---|---|---|
1972–73 | Joe Axelson | ![]() |
Kansas City-Omaha Kings |
1973–74 | Eddie Donovan | ![]() |
Buffalo Braves |
1974–75 | Dick Vertlieb | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors |
1975–76 | Jerry Colangelo*[lower-alpha 1] | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns |
1976–77 | Ray Patterson | ![]() |
Houston Rockets |
1977–78 | Angelo Drossos | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs |
1978–79 | Bob Ferry | ![]() |
Washington Bullets |
1979–80 | Red Auerbach*[lower-alpha 2] | ![]() |
Boston Celtics |
1980–81 | Jerry Colangelo*[lower-alpha 1] (2) | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns |
1981–82 | Bob Ferry (2) | ![]() |
Washington Bullets |
1982–83 | Zollie Volchok | ![]() |
Seattle SuperSonics |
1983–84 | Frank Layden | ![]() |
Utah Jazz |
1984–85 | Vince Boryla | ![]() |
Denver Nuggets |
1985–86 | Stan Kasten | ![]() |
Atlanta Hawks |
1986–87 | Stan Kasten (2) | ![]() |
Atlanta Hawks |
1987–88 | Jerry Krause* | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls |
1988–89 | Jerry Colangelo*[lower-alpha 1] (3) | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns |
1989–90 | Bob Bass | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs |
1990–91 | Bucky Buckwalter | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers |
1991–92 | Wayne Embry*[lower-alpha 1] | ![]() |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
1992–93 | Jerry Colangelo*[lower-alpha 1] (4) | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns |
1993–94 | Bob Whitsitt | ![]() |
Seattle SuperSonics |
1994–95 | Jerry West*[lower-alpha 3] | ![]() |
Los Angeles Lakers |
1995–96 | Jerry Krause* (2) | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls |
1996–97 | Bob Bass (2) | ![]() |
Charlotte Hornets |
1997–98 | Wayne Embry*[lower-alpha 1] (2) | ![]() |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
1998–99 | Geoff Petrie | ![]() |
Sacramento Kings |
1999–00 | John Gabriel | ![]() |
Orlando Magic |
2000–01 | Geoff Petrie (2) | ![]() |
Sacramento Kings |
2001–02 | Rod Thorn* | ![]() |
New Jersey Nets |
2002–03 | Joe Dumars*[lower-alpha 3] | ![]() |
Detroit Pistons |
2003–04 | Jerry West*[lower-alpha 3] (2) | ![]() |
Memphis Grizzlies |
2004–05 | Bryan Colangelo | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns |
2005–06 | Elgin Baylor*[lower-alpha 3] | ![]() |
Los Angeles Clippers |
2006–07 | Bryan Colangelo (2) | ![]() |
Toronto Raptors |
2007–08 | Danny Ainge^ | ![]() |
Boston Celtics |
2008–09 | Mark Warkentien | ![]() |
Denver Nuggets |
2009–10 | John Hammond^ | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks |
2010–11[lower-alpha 4] | Pat Riley*^[lower-alpha 2] | ![]() |
Miami Heat |
Gar Forman | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls | |
2011–12 | Larry Bird*[lower-alpha 3] | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers |
2012–13 | Masai Ujiri^ | ![]() |
Denver Nuggets |
2013–14 | R. C. Buford^ | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs |
2014–15 | Bob Myers^ | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors |
2015–16 | R. C. Buford^ (2) | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs |
2016–17 | Bob Myers^ (2) | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors |
2017–18 | Daryl Morey^ | ![]() |
Houston Rockets |
2018–19 | Jon Horst^ | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks |
2019–20 | Lawrence Frank^ | ![]() |
Los Angeles Clippers |
See also
Notes
- Wayne Embry and Jerry Colangelo were enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as contributors in 1999[6] and 2004.[7]
- Red Auerbach and Pat Riley were enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as coaches in 1969[8] and 2008.[9]
- Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Larry Bird and Joe Dumars were enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as players in 1977,[10] 1980,[11] 1998[12] and 2006.[13]
- Denotes seasons in which joint winners were named
References
- General
- "NBA Awards — Executive of the Year". The Sports Network. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- Specific
- "Reports: Baylor wins NBA executive of the year". ESPN.com. May 14, 2006. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
- Windhorst, Brian (May 21, 2009). "Cleveland Cavaliers' GM Danny Ferry picked by The Sporting News as its NBA Executive of the Year". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on May 26, 2009. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- "Celtics GM Ainge named NBA's executive of year". CBC Sports. May 14, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
- "Colangelo voted NBA's top exec for second time". ESPN.com. May 14, 2007. Retrieved July 24, 2008.
- "Indiana's Larry Bird named 2011-12 Executive of the Year". NBA.com. NBA.com. May 16, 2012. Archived from the original on May 19, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- "Wayne R. Embry". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- "Jerry Colangelo". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- "Arnold J. "Red" Auerbach". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- "Pat Riley". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- "Elgin Baylor". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on February 15, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- "Jerry A. West". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 31, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2008.
- "Larry J. Bird". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 29, 2009. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
- "Joe Dumars". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on August 7, 2009. Retrieved July 26, 2008.