NBA Official: Pelicans Center DeAndre Jordan Wins His First Teammate of the Year Award

The NBA officially announced on Wednesday that New Orleans Pelicans center DeAndre Jordan has won the 2025/26 Twyman Stokes Teammate of the Year Award. This is the first time Jordan has received this honor in his 18-year career.

The Twyman Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, established in the 2012/13 season, aims to recognize players who demonstrate selflessness, leadership on and off the court, serve as role models, and are highly committed to their teams. The selection process is extremely rigorous: league executives first select six candidates from each conference, and then all current NBA players vote to determine the winner.

DeAndre Jordan, 37, was the 35th overall pick in the second round of the 2008 NBA draft. During his career, he played for the Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, and New Orleans Pelicans. During this time, he garnered numerous accolades, including a 2022/23 NBA championship, three All-NBA First Team selections, two All-Defensive First Team selections, two rebounding titles, and a gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

So far this season, DeAndre Jordan has only played 12 regular season games for the Pelicans, averaging 4.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in 16.6 minutes per game, with a field goal percentage of 65.6% and a free throw percentage of 64.7%. Although his individual statistics are no longer eye-catching, he still earns the league's recognition for his rich experience and undeniable leadership.

According to the voting results released by the league, DeAndre Jordan received 66 first-place votes, 59 second-place votes, 46 third-place votes, 39 fourth-place votes, and 25 fifth-place votes (1445 points), ultimately winning by a narrow margin of 8 points. Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday came in second with 39 first-place votes, 80 second-place votes, 61 third-place votes, 51 fourth-place votes, and 29 fifth-place votes (1437 points), while Houston Rockets forward Jeff Green came in third with 57 first-place votes, 60 second-place votes, 50 third-place votes, 45 fourth-place votes, and 45 fifth-place votes (1420 points).

Image source: Internet/NBA official website