Chris Paul was named 2013 Sportsman of the Year and the Clippers’ 2013 Pacific Division championship was recognized as one of last year’s best moments at the 9th Annual LA Sports Awards, held Wednesday at the Beverly Hilton.
The LA Sports Awards are presented annually by the Los Angeles Sports Council to celebrate the greatest moments of the year in sports in the Los Angeles/Orange County area.
Paul’s 2013 season included leading the NBA in assists and steals, being selected All-NBA First Team and First Team All-Defense. He made his sixth All-Star appearance, capturing the MVP of the game, and led the Clippers to a franchise-record 56 wins in the regular season.
He is the second recipient of the Sportsman of the Year award in Clippers history. Forward Elton Brand was honored for his MVP-caliber season in 2006 that ended with the Clippers losing in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
In other award presentations, record-setting long distance swimmer Diana Nyad and Sparks star Candace Parker were co-named the Sportswomen of the Year, UCLA head baseball coach John Savage received the Coach of the Year award and Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten was the recipient of the Sports Executive of the Year.
A special High School Moment of the Year award was presented to the St. John Bosco football team for winning its first California state championship.
During the festivities, the overall Top 10 moments of 2013 -- as selected by a blue-ribbon Media Panel combined with the results of online fan voting -- were revealed in ranked order. They are:
1. UCLA Wins its First-Ever College World Series Title—The Bruins defeated Mississippi State, 8-0, to win their first College World Series championship, at Omaha (June 25).
2. Clayton Kershaw Wins Cy Young Award—The Dodger left-hander led the National League in strikeouts and earned run average in winning his second Cy Young Award in the last three years, receiving 29 out of 30 first-place votes (November 13).
3. Dodgers Advance to NLCS—Powered by Juan Uribe’s come-from-behind 8th inning home run, the Dodgers defeated the Braves, 4-3, to clinch their Division Series and advance to the National League Championship Series (October 7).
4. Clippers Win First-Ever Pacific Division Title—The Clippers beat the Lakers, 109-95, to clinch their first division title (April 7).
5. UCLA Defeats USC for the Second Straight Year, 35-14—Led by quarterback Brett Hundley’s 208 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns, the Bruins recorded their first victory at the Coliseum since 1997 (November 30).
6. Myles Jack of UCLA Named Pac-12 Freshman Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year—A rare two-way player, at the time of his award Jack had 70 tackles and an interception as a linebacker and ran for 7 touchdowns as a running back (December 2).
7. Kings Advance to Western Conference Finals—The Kings defeated San Jose, 2-1, in a grueling Game 7 at Staples Center to advance to the NHL Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row (May 28).
8. Puig-Mania Sweeps L.A.—Dodger rookie Yasiel Puig closed out a remarkable first month with the team, batting .433 and recording 44 hits — more than any player in National League history in his first calendar month, and second in Major League history to Joe DiMaggio (June 30).
9. Record Number of Coaching Changes—An unprecedented wave of marquee coaching changes swept L.A. teams in 2013, including newcomers Steve Alford (UCLA basketball), Andy Enfield (USC basketball), Doc Rivers (Clippers), Ed Orgeron and Steve Sarkisian (USC football), and Reggie Theus (Cal State Northridge basketball).
10. Scott Neidermayer Inducted to Hockey Hall of Fame—The smooth skating defenseman became the first member of the Ducks named to the Hall of Fame for his accomplishments with the team, which included being named playoff MVP in the Ducks’ Stanley Cup-winning season in 2007 (November 11).
FOX Sports Prime Ticket will televise the star-studded awards show on Friday, March 14 at 9:30 pm PST (with multiple airings to follow).
A “moment” can be a specific instant in time (a winning goal, hit or shot), an individual or team milestone, an upset victory, a remarkable game or series of games, a special event or a career achievement. Nominated moments must have taken place in the local area or have involved a local athlete or team.
The L.A. Sports Council is a non-profit organization and will utilize the event’s proceeds to further its mission of promoting economic development through sports in Southern California. For further information, please visit the Sports Council website at www.lasports.org.