Oklahoma City Thunder’s Sam Presti was awarded the NBA Executive of the Year, a recognition of his work in turning the team into a powerhouse that led the league with 68 wins in the season.
It’s the first time Presti has received this award and the first time since 1994 that the franchise’s chief executive, then known as the Seattle SuperSonics, has been recognized with this honor. Bob Whitsitt was the winner that season.
Presti, executive vice president and general manager of the Thunder, received 10 first-place votes from a panel of 30 basketball executives, one from each NBA team, who ranked their top three choices. Presti appeared on 22 of the 30 ballots.
I see it as a tremendous privilege to be able to do it. Eventually, someone else will occupy this position, and while I do, it’s not my job, it’s the job of the Thunder. I am serving in the position in the best way possible and I hope to do a good job for as many people as possible, and I enjoy it.
Sam Presti
Cleveland’s Koby Altman finished second with six first-place votes after the Cavaliers won 64 games and finished atop the Eastern Conference. Detroit’s Trajan Langdon also got six first-place votes and was third after the Pistons went from a 14-win team to a playoff team with 44 wins in his first year leading the front office.
Rafael Stone of Houston was fourth; Lawrence Frank of the LA Clippers was fifth and Rob Pelinka of the Los Angeles Lakers was sixth.
Golden State’s Mike Dunleavy was seventh; Brooklyn’s Sean Marks and Boston’s Brad Stevens (both with a first-place vote) tied for eighth, and New York’s Leon Rose was tenth.
Sacramento’s Monte McNair was eleventh, while Orlando’s Jeff Weltman and San Antonio’s Brian Wright tied for twelfth.
The Executive of the Year award is not decided like most of the NBA season’s honors, which are voted on by a global panel of writers and broadcasters who cover the league.
Other previously announced awards include: Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson as Coach of the Year, Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels as Most Improved Player, San Antonio’s Stephon Castle as Rookie of the Year, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley as Defensive Player of the Year, New York’s Jalen Brunson as Clutch Player of the Year, and Boston’s Payton Pritchard as Sixth Man of the Year.
Other awards announced by the league since the end of the regular season: Golden State’s Stephen Curry won the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award, the Warriors’ Draymond Green won the Hustle award, and Boston’s Jrue Holiday won the Sportsmanship award for the second time in his career. The league’s Social Justice Champion will be revealed on Wednesday.
The major awards to be announced later in the playoffs include MVP (either Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Oklahoma City, Nikola Jokic of Denver, or Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee), in addition to the All-NBA, All-Rookie, and All-Defensive teams.
