There has been a trend in recent seasons of the NBA for the most outstanding performers in their role to be voted on and chosen by their peers.
In recent years the NBA Executive of the Year has been voted on and decided by NBA executives and the players have staged their own awards show and end of season awards voted on by their peers (we all remember James Harden being voted as MVP by the players after the 2014-15 season in lieu of traditional winner Steph Curry).
As we all know the award that still carries the most weight by far and is the one remembered and tracked is the long standing awards that have been voted on by media and coaches for the past 60 years, but that hasn’t stopped the National Basketball Coaches Association from implementing their own NBA Coach of the Year Award this season, that is chosen exclusively by NBA coaches.
Here is the press release announcing the creation of the new league:
“The National Basketball Coaches Association (“NBCA”) is proud to announce the inception of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award.
The Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award will be an annual award given to honor the most successful Head Coach in the National Basketball Association (“NBA”) as voted upon by his or her peers. It will be the only award chosen entirely by NBA Coaches. Every season, Head Coaches representing all 30 NBA Teams will select the winner. The winner of the 2017 Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award will be announced at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 NBA regular season.
This award will recognize the dedication and hard work of NBA Head Coaches. The Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award will be presented to a Coach who helped guide his or her players to a higher level of performance on-the-court and showed outstanding service and dedication to the community off-the-court. The Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award is named after the esteemed Michael H. Goldberg, the long-time Executive Director of the National Basketball Coaches Association (a group that encompasses all Head and Assistant Coaches in the NBA and its alumni group).
In 1980, six years after the NBCA was founded, Michael H. Goldberg became its first Executive Director. Building upon the existing foundation of the NBCA, he guided it during the years of the greatest growth in professional basketball. He helped gain significant benefits for NBA Coaches, including billions of dollars in increased retirement funds, and disability insurance. And so, the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award honors the substantial contributions of Mr. Goldberg, who set the standard for loyalty, integrity, passionate representation, and tireless promotion of NBA Coaching.
“This award honors the life work of a great leader, tireless foot soldier for the best interests of Coaches and the NBA, and most importantly, a trusted friend,” said NBCA President Coach Rick Carlisle. “The Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award will have special meaning because of its namesake and the fact that it is voted on by all Head Coaches.”
This is an interesting idea and when it comes to truly determining the performance of coaching, there really is no better way to determine who is at the forefront of the profession in a given season than the coaches themselves.
One would think Mike D’Antoni or David Fizdale should have the inside track on both versions of the coach of the year awards for the 2016-17 season.
This trend of awards and recognition being determined by peers and not media is an intriguing one and with some certain restrictions to limit conflicts of interest, it seems like the most fair and effective way to truly determine the class of the league in all aspects for a given season.
Adam Silver is the most forward thinking commissioner we have in major American professional sports and it would be interesting to see him attempt to amend the traditional award voting system, which seems to have the highest importance in the NBA, with a new system that incorporates player and coach voting as well.
