Minnesota Timberwolves Mike Conley has been named the 2024 NBA Teammate of the Year. According to the NBA.com staff, “the award recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.”
The 2023-24 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year is… Mike Conley!
Conley receives the honor that recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on & off court leadership as a mentor & role model to other NBA players, & commitment & dedication to team.… pic.twitter.com/jU0iPdKXAW
— NBA (@NBA) May 1, 2024
This is the second time in his career that Conley has received the honor. Additionally, the guard was voted the NBA Teammate of the Year in 2019, his final season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Furthermore, according to the full voting results, Conley won the award by a relatively slim margin. The 17-year NBA veteran received 51 first-place votes, just four more above Brooklyn Nets wing Mikal Bridges, the runner-up. Conley received 1,172 total points, whereas Bridges received 1,041.
Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks), T.J. McConnell (Indiana Pacers), and Georges Niang (Cleveland Cavaliers) rounded out the top five.
2024 NBA Teammate of the Year Award Winner Announced
Mike Conley’s 2023-24 Season
This season, Conley averaged 11.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. Conley also shot a career-high 44.2% from beyond the arc. Only Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard shot the ball more efficiently from the three-point line. Furthermore, as one of the better defensive guards in the league, Conley helped lead the Timberwolves to the best team defensive rating in basketball.
In February, Conley signed a two-year contract extension to remain in Minnesota. Before the signing, head coach Chris Finch talked about how important Conley was to the team.
He’s everybody’s big brother. Calm, steady. Not super vocal in any rah-rah way but when he talks, everyone is listening. … Whether he wanted to be the leader of this team or not, our guys look to him, and he’s taken it and run with it.
The Minnesota Timberwolves Roster Loves Mike Conley
Conley is not a two-time NBA Teammate of the Year recipient for no reason. The Arkansas native has built a reputation for his work ethic, leadership, and humility. Recently, teammate Nickeil Alexander-Walker spoke about Conley’s impact on him.
“I think he’s taught me how to be a level-headed player, and he’s taught me how to be more consistent in the way I do things on and off the floor,” Minnesota guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker said. “I’m aspiring to be a lead guard full time, and when I look at Mike, he’s always even-keeled. That’s just so helpful to us. He has this ability to control his emotions and control the game when frustrations get high. “When everyone is kind of running around, Mike is calm and telling us what we need to do to get back on track. He’s just very important to us.”
Furthermore, Conley himself talked about his impact on the team as a leader.
“The guys trust me, both players and coaches,” Conley said. “I’ve got all those guys’ best interest at heart and I think I put myself aside for the betterment of the team and they know that. So anything I say or do or have a message to speak on, they know it’s coming from a good place and that I don’t have any other agendas behind it.”
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