Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford became the first player in NBA history to win three Sixth Man of the Year Awards.
Crawford is the oldest player ever to win the award at 36-years-old. The veteran averaged 14.2 points and 2.3 assists in 79 games this season, coming off the bench in 74. He also ranked second in the league in free throw percentage (90.4).
The 2000 first-rounder was previously named the Sixth Man of the Year in 2009-10 (Atlanta Hawks) and in 2013-14 (Clippers) and is the only player to nab the honor with multiple teams. He joins Detlef Schrempf, Ricky Pierce and Kevin McHale as the only players to win the award more than once.
Crawford scored 51 first-place votes and 341 points from a voting panel comprised of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters in the United States and Canada. Golden State Warriors guard/forward and reigning NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala finished second (288) points, while Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter placed third (182).
The Sixth Man of the Year award is given to players who appear in more games off the bench than as a starter. Last year's winner Lou Williams took home the award after averaging 15.5 points, 2.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game for the Toronto Raptors.
Crawford was especially impressive during the 45 games that Clippers star and three-time All-NBA second team member Blake Griffin missed this year due to injury and suspension. During that span, Crawford emerged as the team's third-leading scorer at 15.6 points per game. Looking at the entire season, Crawford scored more points in the fourth quarter (341) than any other player on Los Angeles' roster. In just February, Crawford averaged 19.5 points per game.
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