Spurs Manu Ginobili Wins NBA Sixth Man Award

Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns finished second with 283 points.

Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs is the winner of the NBA Sixth Man Award presented by Kia Motors as the league’s best player in a reserve role for the 2007-08 season, the NBA announced today. Photo courtesy: San Antonio Spurs

NEW YORK - Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs is the winner of the NBA Sixth Man Award presented by Kia Motors as the league’s best player in a reserve role for the 2007-08 season, the NBA announced today.

Ginobili received 615 out of a possible 620 points, including 123 of a possible 124 first-place votes, from a panel of 124 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns finished second with 283 points and Jason Terry of the Dallas Mavericks finished third with 44 points.

In order to be eligible for this award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

As part of its support of the Sixth Man Award, Kia Motors will donate a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven-passenger SUV on behalf of Ginobili to Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives of San Antonio which is committed to caring for children in crisis. Each winner of the four year-end awards presented by Kia Motors will receive a Borrego on behalf of the player’s charity of choice.

A sixth man in 51-of-74 games played this season, Ginobili led the Spurs in scoring with a career-high average of 19.5 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.47 steals. He increased his scoring nearly 6.0 points over his career average entering this season (13.7 ppg). He is also the only player in the NBA to average at least 17 points in under 32.0 minutes per game.

Ginobili is the only player in the NBA ranked in the top 31 for points per game (31st), steals (16th), assists (28th), three-point field goals made (156, 16th), three-point field goal percentage (.401, 28th), free throws made (380, 16th) and free throw percentage (.860, 16th).

The 2007-08 NBA Sixth Man Award presented by Kia Motors is part of a series of on-court performance awards called “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.” The awards, which are part of a multi-year marketing partnership that makes Kia Motors America the official automotive partner of the NBA, also include the Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player Award. The series also includes the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors. For more information on the “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors” visit www.NBA.com/performanceawards

Source: NBA

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