NEW YORK -- New York Knicks reserve guard J.R. Smith was named the NBA's Kia Sixth Man of the Year on Monday afternoon, besting Jamal Crawford of the Los Angeles Clippers for the prestigious award.
The 6-foot-6, 220-pound Smith, who is averaging 18.1 points and 5.3 rebounds in 81 games off the bench, is only the third Knick in the history of the franchise to win the award, following in the footsteps of power forward Anthony Mason (1994-95) and the sweet-shooting John Starks (1996-97).
A former New Orleans Hornet and Denver Nugget, Smith garnered 484 points and 72 first-place votes from a panel of voters made up of 121 writers and broadcasters. Crawford, who averaged 16.5 points per game for Los Angeles, received 352 points and 31 first-place votes for a second place finish.
"I just wanted to show everybody that I could be a team guy and it's all about the team," Smith told reporters at press conference. (Reynaldo Y. Seno)
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