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The NBA on Wednesday, May 16 announced the finalists for six awards that honor top performers from the 2017-18 regular season: Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, Kia NBA Sixth Man Award, Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Kia NBA Most Improved Player and NBA Coach of the Year. 

Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis is a finalist for the MVP award and the Defensive Player of the Year award. His competition for MVP: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and James Harden of the Houston Rockets. Davis' competition for Defensive Player of the Year: Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers and Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz. Davis averaged 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.6 blocks and 1.5 steals a game. 

The winners of these awards will be revealed at the 2018 NBA Awards presented by Kia on Monday, June 25 at 8 p.m. CT on TNT.  The second annual NBA Awards will take place at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif.

Complete voting results for each award will be posted on pr.nba.com the night of the 2018 NBA Awards presented by Kia.

The NBA Awards presented by Kia will also include the announcement of the winners for NBA Basketball Executive of the Year, Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, NBA Sportsmanship Award, the Season long NBA Cares Community Assist Award and the fan-voted Play of the Year. Pelicans All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins is a finalist for the Community Assist Award.

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Anthony Davis named finalist for MVP, Defensive Player of the Year awards

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Anthony Davis Has Legitimate Argument for MVP

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Pelicans.com

Today's lineup presented by ABC Insurance Agencies includes a recap of NBA All-Star Weekend 2017 in New Orleans.

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Black and Blue Report presented by ABC Insurance Agencies: February 20, 2017

How did it feel to just take home this MVP right here in your hometown for tonight?
"It was amazing. That's what I wanted to do. I stressed that, I think more than enough, to the guys in the locker room before the game that I wanted to get the MVP for this crowd, for this city, and I ended up doing it. Them guys did a great job of just finding me, giving me the basketball. They wanted me to score 50. Every time, Kawhi was like six more points. Or James was like, I'm going to pass you the ball."

"Them guys did a great job allowing me to do this. I want to thank all of them. This definitely means a lot to me."

To have this kind of performance with the season that you've already been having, is this kind of a really high point in your career to have the MVP award, do it in New Orleans, and do it in the midst of what has been one of your best seasons of your career?
“I'm just being aggressive. That's really it. Just being aggressive, playing hard, and doing what the team needs. This just kind of adds on to it. Of course, we've got a long way to go to actually do what we want to do, but at the end of the day, I love the city, and I love these guys. We try and do everything we can to turn this thing around for us in the second half of the season.”

At what point did you know you were getting close to the record? And what's it like whenever you get to break a record that Wilt holds? That's always crazy.
“The next one I'm going to try to do is 100 points. No, I'm kidding. I think I had 32, and then them guys just told me to get 50. Then after that, I was just dunking the ball.

I wouldn't say scoring, I was just dunking the ball. I heard throughout the arena that I beat the record. So I really didn't know. But to be in elite company with Wilt, definitely amazing."

"I think getting this trophy, like I said, I wanted to do it for the home crowd, and I definitely did. I think the best part of tonight was definitely winning this trophy for sure."

Congratulations. You had a lot of Malaysian fans watching from back home. They couldn't make it to New Orleans. But we checked on Twitter, and they all voted for you. Could you say anything to your Malaysian fans out there?
“I appreciate it. Thank you guys. Thanks for your continued support all the way from Malaysia. Hopefully, you guys keep supporting me and the Pelicans throughout the rest of the season.”

When those guys started deferring to you, you know, Steve kind of mentioned that you guys had a conversation before the game about them feeding you and getting you toward that MVP. What does that mean to have those guys' respect and to be able to have your place in the league and do it here tonight and all those kinds of things?
"Yeah, it means a lot. Actually, the guy who really was trying to break it down for me was Draymond. He said, all right, we got to get to at least 24 by halftime, and then we came out, and he said, we got to get at least 30 before you come out of the third. So we were just kind of breaking it down. Then, of course, all the other guys were adding on to it and trying to get me the ball."

"Like you said, me and Coach Kerr had a conversation before that we both wanted me to get MVP for the city and do it in front of the home crowd, which was a lot of fun."

Where does this stand just in terms of accomplishments you've had in your career?
“Pretty high. I'd say below the gold medals and then the National Championship, but this is definitely a prize, an award that I'm going to cherish forever.”

Anthony, this was an All-Star game that wasn't even supposed to be in New Orleans. Can you tell us a little bit, now that you guys did have this All-Star game, what it means to the city? And especially coming off of what happened with the tornadoes a couple of weeks ago. Just your performance and what this meant to the city to have this All-Star game.
“It meant a lot to the city. Of course, the tornadoes hit a couple weeks ago. So to kind of bring -- I want to say joy back to the city with All-Star and, of course, Mardi Gras definitely helped out. So this is huge for our city. Of course, stuff just keeps happening to New Orleans, but it's a strong city. Strong city, and we always bounce back. With All-Star here, especially with Mardi Gras going on as well, was huge for the city.”

I know we talked on Friday, and you said you let management do the management issues, you don't deal with that, but this weekend, did you get a chance to maybe talk to some of these guys that can possibly be future teammates, recruit them, show them how great the city is? And you proved tonight that playing with one of the premier players in the league has its benefits.
“Not really. Everybody is running around. When you get in the locker room, you don't talk about your teams or anything like that, but it was fun just playing with these guys. Like you said, I let the management do what they do, and when the time will come with something, they come talk to me, and I tell them yes or no -- well, I give my opinion. I give my opinion, and then we go from there. We try to have a solution. But I let them do their job. This whole weekend was fun playing with these guys for sure.”

Anthony, when Durant had the lob to Westbrook, the whole bench went crazy. Coach Kerr said it was a good icebreaker.
“Defining moment in history right there.”

What was your take, just breaking the ice with those guys?
“Honestly, I didn't -- I didn't know what to expect when they was on the floor, but when that happened, I'm glad a time-out occurred so we could get like everybody's reaction. It was an amazing reaction, everybody clapping. I think they high fived. Steph threw water and everything like that. So it was great to see.”

Anthony, it seemed like Russell Westbrook was actually pushing you the whole game. Was that part of the plan? Was that a surprise to you?
“No, he got hot. He got hot. I think he had like seven threes. So we kept feeding him because he was hot. And then when he came out, the guys started looking for me again. I don't know, I was kind of nervous for a second. When Russ gets on fire, he start doing like this and all type of stuff. But he wasn't missing. He wasn't missing. He won two of them, so I think he told Coach to sit him out so I could get this one.”

Anthony, you just said that, when the management is looking to acquire a new player, that you will give them your opinion. Now there are reports that the Pelicans might have talks with the Kings about a DeMarcus Cousins trade. What is your opinion on him and on the possibility of just getting him to New Orleans?
“He's a great player, dominant in this league, of course, with all the numbers he put up. But I haven't heard anything. So I'm going to let the management, once again, do what they do, and when the time is right, they'll come talk to me about it. Of course, DeMarcus is an elite player in this league.”

A.D., you've obviously scored more than 52 in games where everybody was playing defense. There have been some comments from some of the guys, Kyrie and Kerr, about maybe having to provide more incentives to win and play maybe a little harder. How did these 52 points feel compared to your other 50-point games, and what do you think about that?
"It was fun. It was definitely fun. Of course, this 52 was -- 50 of them was all dunks. So a lot more stress on my knees. But I think it was -- I think you want to see defense. Of course, All-Star is about offense and giving the crowd a show, but if they want to see a little more defense as fans and everything -- I mean, nobody wants to go out here and get hurt. It's all about fun. You probably need to do a few more incentives. I love it. I don't really care. I'll go out there and have fun."

"I didn't play any defense today. I was offensive-minded tonight."

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2017 NBA All-Star Postgame Quotes: Anthony Davis

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Anthony Davis Wins 2017 NBA All-Star Game MVP

Jim Eichenhofer

Less than two months after his 22nd birthday, New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis learned Monday that he had finished fifth in voting for the NBA’s 2014-15 Most Valuable Player, yet another notable accomplishment for the rising star. By placing fifth – behind winner Stephen Curry, James Harden, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook – Davis became the youngest player to earn top-five status since 2009-2010, when 21-year-old Kevin Durant was an MVP runner-up behind James.

Derrick Rose and Durant were 22 years of age in 2010-11 when they took first place and fifth place, respectively, in the MVP race, but both players have fall birthdays and therefore were roughly five months older than Davis is today.

Among the 130 ballots cast for this year’s MVP award, Davis was mentioned a total of 97 times, including nine third-place votes, 35 fourth-place votes and 53 fifth-place votes. Davis was among only six players who received at least one third-place vote (Clippers guard Chris Paul was the sixth member of that group).

In New Orleans franchise history, Davis is the first player to register a top-five MVP finish since Paul placed fifth in 2008-09. Paul was MVP runner-up in 2007-08, at age 22.

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Anthony Davis youngest top-five MVP finisher since 2009-10

Jimmer Fredette is so popular in Utah that it seemed half of the state was in attendance Nov. 22 to watch the former BYU standout play against the Jazz, but the Salt Lake City crowd ended up being treated to one of Anthony Davis’ signature performances. In a 106-94 New Orleans victory, Davis poured in a career-high 43 points, scoring from every angle, including soaring dunks, deep two-point jumpers, mid-range pull-ups and a series of basket-and-ones against Utah’s big frontline. After the spectacular game by Davis, when Fredette met with a group of observers who attended the Pelicans-Jazz game, they were duly impressed.

Fredette: “My friends and family were like, ‘Wow, he’s really good. We didn’t know how good he was until we watched him live.’ ”

Opposing fans around the NBA have been saying the same thing about Davis all season, as he repeatedly topped himself and moved into the MVP conversation at just 22 years old. Although Davis has been outstanding everywhere he’s played, many of his All-NBA-type games led the Pelicans (41-35) to monumental road wins, often in venues where they haven’t experienced much success in recent years.

Davis scored dramatic game-winning baskets in San Antonio and Oklahoma City, the latter arguably the most exciting buzzer-beater of the entire NBA this season – an off-balance, 30-foot three-pointer over Kevin Durant’s outstretched right arm.

“That’s a superstar play,” Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson described.

In addition to Davis’ 43-point eruption at Utah, his third-best offensive game as a pro was a 41-pointer in Oklahoma City’s raucous arena Feb. 6. The 6-foot-10 power forward must be taking a liking to OKC’s Chesapeake Energy Arena, because he also produced a 38-point game there Dec. 21, in a 101-99 win. Davis scored the final points of that road victory over the Thunder as well.

Add to that a 43-point game at Milwaukee – as well as 30-plus scoring games at Boston, Charlotte, Portland, Dallas, Washington, Golden State and Houston – and nearly half of the NBA’s fans have been treated to a memorable, up-close glimpse of why Davis will be in the MVP discussion for years to come.

“The guy’s become really special,” Rockets Coach Kevin McHale said, prior to Davis’ 30-14-5 game in a Pelicans win at Houston’s Toyota Center. “He’s taken huge leaps. That’s how you bypass 90 percent of the people that play your position. He’s done it. When I first saw him (as a rookie), I was like, ‘We’ll see (how good he becomes).’ But last year, I was like, ‘Wow.’ He just keeps making huge improvements. It’s a credit to the kid. He must work hard, because he’s getting better right before your eyes. He’s a handful. He’s a special player. And he’s so young, I believe he has a couple more big leaps in him.”

Davis’ league-wide popularity has made such a gigantic jump that he went from just seventh place in Western Conference All-Star frontcourt voting in 2013-14 (with roughly 280,000 votes), all the way to No. 1 this season (1.3 million votes). Along the way, he’s moved into a select group of players by being cheered during starting lineup introductions in virtually every road arena, a treatment reserved for only the league’s greats. During a January road trip in which Davis missed games due to injury, there were loud groans from crowds in Philadelphia and New York’s famous Madison Square Garden when it was announced that the highlight-generating star wouldn’t play.

With six games remaining in the regular season, Davis is a lock to repeat as blocks champion (2.95 bpg), while ranking fourth in the NBA in scoring (24.4 ppg) and ninth in rebounding (10.3 rpg). He’s also 26th in steals (1.45), a department normally dominated by point guards and wing players. His PER is historically great at 30.90; the all-time record is 31.82, set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962-63.

“At this point, he’s in the top category of players,” Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s really progressed in every facet of the game, at both ends of the court. Also, doing it in a classy way. There’s no braggadocio about him or anything like that. He just comes and plays. He reminds me a lot of the way Tim (Duncan) has approached the game his whole career. He’s got nothing but great years ahead of him, that’s for sure.”

Among the Pelicans’ current players, small forward Quincy Pondexter is most familiar with what it’s like to play against Davis, having been a member of the in-division Memphis Grizzlies for three-plus seasons. Pondexter considers Davis an MVP-level player already at 22, but says the exciting thing is that there’s so much more ground to cover in terms of improvement.

“As an opponent, there are way too many things to worry about,” Pondexter said of facing the two-time All-Star. “He has a million ways to kill you. He has so many weapons offensively, and defensively he’s just as good. The crazy thing is his ceiling is still unbelievable in terms of growth. I love his game. Playing against him was great, but playing with him is so awesome. He makes the game easier for everyone else. I can’t wait to see how his career unfolds and how much better he could possibly get.”

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Anthony Davis has treated fans around NBA to series of up-close, MVP-caliber performances

LAS VEGAS – On May 6, Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant delivered one of the most memorable MVP speeches in sports history, an emotional 25-minute soliloquy that thanked countless people in Durant’s life for his success, on and off the court. As it turns out, Durant’s Thunder teammates weren’t the only NBA players who received a meaningful message that week.

As reported by SLAM magazine in a recent profile of New Orleans forward Anthony Davis, when Davis texted congratulations to Durant on winning league MVP, Durant responded back to Davis that the 21-year-old is headed for the honor someday.

“You on your way to get it,” read Durant’s text message back to Davis.

The words initially stunned Davis, a Western Conference All-Star teammate of Durant’s for the first time in February.

“It was shocking,” Davis said. “For a guy who knows what it takes to win an MVP award, telling me that I’m on my way, it means he sees something in me. That means a lot, especially from one of the best players in the league right now, if not the best. It just meant a lot. It made me want to work even harder.”

Durant, a friend of Davis and a teammate on the USA team that won gold at the 2012 Olympics, explained that his return text was simply a recognition of Davis’ sky-high promise and potential. The 6-foot-10, 238-pounder was one of the league’s most improved players in 2013-14, averaging 20.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and a league-leading 2.8 blocks.

“I know how good he’s going to be,” the four-time NBA scoring champion said, after a USA Basketball practice. “I know how good he is now, but I know how good he’s going to be. He’s an MVP-caliber player. So he’s next. He’s next in line – a guy that has grown so much in just a year. I’m excited to see what he does from here. He’s definitely on pace.”

Durant, who’s on the same floor as Davis this week in Las Vegas for the first time since the All-Star Game, also took immediate notice of changes to Davis’ frame, the result of time spent in the weight room this summer.

“You can tell he’s getting bulkier, getting bigger, more confident. You can tell he’s working,” Durant said. “I’m excited for him. He’s a good friend of mine. I’ve seen him since he was a junior in high school. His growth from then to now is just phenomenal. He’s just growing every single day. He’s moving up the ladder every single day. It’s scary. Scary.”

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MVP Kevin Durant on Anthony Davis: 'He's next in line'

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