Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart wins NBA Hustle Award

The NBA Hustle Award honors athletes who put in the effort to make plays that don't frequently figure in the conventional box score

NBA Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart wins NBA Hustle Award

Tosin Abayomi 22:00 - 04.05.2023

NBA reveals Hustle Award winner and Basketball Executive of the Year.

The 2022–23 NBA Hustle Award has been given to Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart. 

Since the award's introduction in 2016–17, Smart has won it three times, making him the first player to do so.

The NBA Hustle Award honors athletes who put in the effort to make plays that don't frequently figure in the conventional box score but have a nightly impact on victory. 

Since the 2016 postseason, the NBA has kept track of hustle stats, which include deflections, loose balls recovered, charges drawn, screen assists, contested shots, and box-outs.

NBA Basketball Executive of the Year

The NBA has awarded Sacramento Kings general manager Monte McNair the 2022–23 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year. 

Koby Altman of the Cleveland Cavaliers (66 points), Justin Zanik of the Utah Jazz (20 points), and Calvin Booth of the Denver Nuggets (20 points) were all beaten by McNair, who finished with 98 total points.

In the 2022–23 season, McNair joins swingman De'Aaron Fox and head coach Mike Brown as the third member of the Kings organization to earn a prize. 

Fox, an All-Star guard, won the NBA Clutch Player of the Year award, while Brown received an award for his coaching abilities this season.

On September 16, 2020, the Kings hired McNair as their general manager. He had previously worked in the Rockets front office, most recently as Daryl Morey's assistant general manager. 

The Kings had a remarkable turnaround in 2022–23, going 48–34 to win the Pacific Division title and snap a 16–year playoff drought. The Kings had gone 31–41 in his first season and 30-52 in the previous one. 

Fox and fellow All-Star Domantas Sabonis were the foundation of the team, but McNair made key roster adjustments in the summer of 2022, including trading for Kevin Huerter, signing Malik Monk, and selecting Keegan Murray. These moves helped the squad turn things around.

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