Eric Snow Awarded 1999-2000 NBA Sportsmanship Award
6/12/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
June 12, 2000
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Philadelphia 76ers guard and former Michigan State Spartan Eric Snow has been named the winner of the 1999-2000 NBA Sportsmanship Award, which honors the player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, and will be presented with the Joe Dumars Trophy.
Snow, who was a four-year letterwinner at Michigan State from 1992-95, averaged 5.9 points in 113 games over his career. He ranks third on the MSU all-time assists chart with 599. During his senior campaign in 1994-95, Snow earned second-team All-Big Ten honors along with Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year accolades while leading Michigan State and the Big Ten in assists (7.8 apg).
Snow, who becomes the first Sixer to win the award, has asked that the $25,000 award be divided equally between Hartford Middle School in Canton, Ohio, his alma mater, and Simon Gratz High School, in Philadelphia where Snow's teammate Aaron McKie was a student.
"I have fond memories of attending Hartford," Snow said. "This is the middle school that I attended as a child and I'm pleased that I can help some of the children coming after me."
Snow said he also wanted to do something for the community that currently supports his efforts as a basketball player.
"I'm thankful of the support that I've gotten in Philadelphia and I'd like to give something back there as well," he said. "My teammate Aaron McKie, a graduate of Gratz, has made quite an impression on me these last couple of seasons and I'll be very happy if this award can benefit other people like Aaron."
Snow becomes the second Spartan in two seasons to earn a postseason award from the NBA. Former MSU standout Steve Smith was the recipient of the 1997-98 J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
"I'm tremendously excited for Eric Snow," said Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, an assistant coach during Snow's career. "I can't think of a more deserving person for this award. On a daily basis he is the perfect role model. It's been exciting to watch his career unfold not only as his skills have developed, but also his class and leadership."
Snow received 45 of 121 votes from a panel consisting of 34 national media members and three media members who cover the NBA regularly from each of the league's 29 cities. Former NBA players Rolando Blackman, Mark Eaton, Eddie Johnson and Kenny Smith selected four divisional winners from a pool of 29 team nominees. Each team nominated one of its players for the award.
Snow has been the Atlantic Divisional winner for the past two seasons. Jason Kidd of Phoenix and the Pacific Division finished second with 30 votes. Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon, the Midwest Division nominee, and Atlanta'a LaPhonso Ellis, the Central Division nominee, received 27 and 19 votes respecitively.
Dumars of the Detroit Pistons was named the inaugural recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award in November, 1996. The six-time All-Star was selected in honor of his distinguished career and for symbolizing the tradition the NBA recognizes with this award. Last year, the trophy that is presented to the winner was named in honor of Dumars. Other winners included Terrell Brandon, then with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the award in 1996-97 season and San Antonio's Avery Johnson (1997-98) and Hersey Hawkins (1998-99 when he played for Seattle).
