The best of the best has been recognised for their outstanding output in 2019 at tonight's Awards Night at Christchurch Casino.
The celebration of this season's best individuals, clubs and media brought the regular season to a close , while also acting as the perfect lead-in to the Final 4 weekend.
Sal's NBL General Manager Justin Nelson said the Awards were a great start to what is going to be a big weekend.
"It was a great night and such a perfect opportunity with four teams here in Christchurch to bring them together and celebrate the season.
"We have so many outstanding athletes in the league, along with outstanding coaches and administrators who all work extremely hard to put the show on, they are all the stars of the league and tonight was an opportunity to recognise them all."
A perfect record going into the finals saw the Cigna Wellington Saints receive the most rounds of applause this evening, most notably with standout forward Nick Kay taking home the TAB MVP.
The Boomer had earlier been named to the All-Star 5, as well as receiving the Commissioner's Award (most outstanding forward/centre) and Golden Hands accolade (assists plus steals, minus turnovers).
Teammate Shea Ili was also named to the All-Star 5 and collected the John MacDonald Award (most outstanding NZ guard). Kay's front court partner Rob Loe walked away with the Stan Hill Award (most outstanding NZ forward/centre).
Final 4 hosts the Wheeler Motor Company Canterbury Rams had three individuals recognised for the consistent performances this season. Fellow Boomer Cameron Gliddon was paired with Ili in the All-Star 5 backcourt and received the Keith Carr Award (most outstanding guard).
Head Coach Mick Downer accepted Coach of the Year honours and import Isaiah Wilkins was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Taylor Hawks duo Brandon Bowman and EJ Singler rounded out the All-Star 5, while back court starters Jarrod Kenny and Ethan Rusbatch were awarded League Leader in Assists and Most Improved Player of the Year. Injured Hawk Daniel Kickert also lead the league in three-point shooting percentage.
Southland Sharks skipper Alex Pledger finished the season with the highest free throw percentage and his club were given the nod of Best Game Presentation for their work at ILT Stadium. Dom Kelman-Poto won the social media popularity contest and was awarded Fans Favourite Player.
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Most Valuable Player
Nick Kay
Wellington Saints
All-Star 5 (5 trophies)
Shea Ili
Wellington Saints
Cameron Gliddon
Canterbury Rams
EJ Singler
Hawke’s Bay Hawks
Nick Kay
Wellington Saints
Brandon Bowman
Hawke’s Bay Hawks
Most Outstanding Guard
Keith Carr Award
Cameron Gliddon
Canterbury Rams
Most Outstanding NZ Guard
John MacDonald Award
Shea Ili
Wellington Saints
Most Outstanding Forward/Centre
Commissioner’s Award
Nick Kay
Wellington Saints
Most Outstanding NZ Forward/Centre
Stan Hill Award
Rob Loe
Wellington Saints
Coach Of The Year
Mick Downer
Canterbury Rams
Most Improved Player
Ethan Rusbatch
Hawke’s Bay Hawks
Best Defensive Player
Isaiah Wilkins
Canterbury Rams
Youth Player Of The Year
Tyrell Harrison
Nelson Giants
Fans Most Popular Player
Dom Kelman-Poto
Southland Sharks
League Scoring Champion
Alan Bland Award
Tim Quarterman
Supercity Rangers
League Rebounding Champion
Garry Pettis Award
Marcel Jones
Southern Huskies
League Assists Champion
Dave Taylor Award
Jarrod Kenny
Hawke’s Bay Hawks
Golden Hands
Nick Kay
Wellington Saints
Leading Free Throw Percentage
Alex Pledger
Southland Sharks
Leading 3 Point Percentage
Daniel Kickert
Hawke’s Bay Hawks
Referee Of The Year
Marty Davison
Team GM Of The Year
Julie Bensemann
Nelson Giants
Best Game Presentation
Southland Sharks
Best Fan Engagement
Canterbury Rams
Best Social Media
Southland Sharks
Photo Of The Year
David Rowland
Journalist Of The Year
Brent Costelloe
Best Print Coverage
Stuff
Broadcaster Of The Year
Huw Beynon
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