The Players’ Awards Is Coming to BET in July

During NBA All-Star Weekend in February, Kevin Durant expressed that the league's players should vote on their own awards because nobody knows the game better than them.

Two months later, in April, the National Basketball Players Association executive director, Michele Roberts, laid the groundwork for that idea to come to fruition.

Now, BET Networks has announced that it will broadcast the First Annual Players’ Awards in partnership with the NBPA, airing the inaugural ceremony exclusively on BET in July.

Current NBA players will come together in Las Vegas at the Players’ Awards to hand out honors in the following categories:

• Most Valuable Player
• Best Rookie
• Man of the Year
• Best Defender
• Global Impact Player
• Hardest to Guard
• Clutch Performer
• Coach You Would Want to Play For
• Best Home Court Advantage
• Player You Secretly Wish Was on Your Team

“We at BET pride ourselves on our track record of producing outstanding awards shows and special events and we are thrilled that we’ll be working with the National Basketball Players Association to bring what will be an incredible night of entertainment,” said Stephen G. Hill, President of Programming, BET Networks. “This will be a unique show and we are looking forward to being the only network to dedicate a night to recognizing and celebrating the league’s most exceptional and rising stars for their extraordinary abilities on the court.”

Roberts added: “We are delighted to have BET as our broadcasting partner for the first ever ‘Players’ Awards’ next month. BET is best-in-class when it comes to award shows, and we are happy that they will be producing this event for the best players in the world.”

The players share in that excitement.

“We are so excited about the Players’ Awards...first time ever...and will be aired on BET," said NBPA president and Los Angeles Clippers' All-Star point guard Chris Paul. "It is going to be a great event."

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(Photo: Jared Milgrim/The Photo Access/The World Access/Corbis)