IBM Award
| Company type | Award |
|---|---|
| Industry | Sports |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Defunct | 2002 |
| Fate | Discontinued |
Area served | National Basketball Association (NBA) |
| Owner | IBM |
The IBM Award was bestowed upon National Basketball Association athletes from 1984 through 2002. Backed and computed by the technology firm IBM, this accolade employed a computer-based formula to quantify a player's statistical impact on their team. The honor was awarded to the individual with the highest measured contribution across the league. The first player to receive this distinction was Magic Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers, while the last honoree was Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs.
Predominantly, recipients were forwards or centers, frequently excelling in rebounding during the seasons they secured the award. Over its nineteen presentations, six winners hailed from the San Antonio Spurs, three each represented the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers, and two each came from the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.David Robinson earned five IBM Awards, Charles Barkley claimed three, while both Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal received it twice.
Every IBM Award recipient has been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as of Duncan's 2020 enshrinement. Numerous multiple-time winners—such as Jordan, Robinson, Barkley, Johnson, Duncan, O'Neal, Karl Malone, and Hakeem Olajuwon—also garnered NBA Most Valuable Player honors; Robinson, O'Neal, and Duncan notably achieved both accolades in the same season. Several recipients—including Jordan, Robinson, Olajuwon, Dennis Rodman, and Dikembe Mutombo—also secured the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, with Olajuwon uniquely attaining both distinctions simultaneously. Among all winners, only Grant Hill has not earned either an MVP or Defensive Player of the Year award.
Shaquille O'Neal stands alone as the only player to win an IBM Award alongside an NBA championship in consecutive seasons (1999–00 and 2000–01). Both Jordan and Robinson are unique in capturing the IBM Award during their rookie campaigns; each also received the NBA Rookie of the Year Award that same season. Two recipients were born outside of the United States: Olajuwon (Nigeria) and Mutombo (Zaire), while Duncan's birthplace is the U.S. Virgin Islands. The accolade was discontinued following 2002; with Duncan retiring after the 2015–16 season, no active NBA players have been honored with it.
Initially called the Pivotal Player Award, its first sponsorship came from razor manufacturer Schick.
Winners
| * | Denotes induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Player (#) | Total number of IBM Awards won by that player |
| Team (#) | Count of IBM Awards earned by players from that team |
Formula
The IBM Award was determined through the following calculation:
- <math>\frac{(\mathrm{plyr\ PTS}-\mathrm{plyr\ FGA}+\mathrm{plyr\ REB}+\mathrm{plyr\ AST}+\mathrm{plyr\ STL}+\mathrm{plyr\ BLK}-\mathrm{plyr\ PF}-\mathrm{plyr\ TO}+(\mathrm{team\ wins}\times10))\times250}{\mathrm{team\ PTS}-\mathrm{team\ FGA}+\mathrm{team\ REB}+\mathrm{team\ AST}+\mathrm{team\ STL}+\mathrm{team\ BLK}-\mathrm{team\ PF}-\mathrm{team\ TO}}</math>
In this expression, the abbreviations represent: plyr for player; PTS for points scored; FGA for field goal attempts; REB for rebounds; AST for assists; STL for steals; BLK for blocks; PF for personal fouls; and TO for turnovers. The accolade was awarded to the player achieving the highest resulting value.
This metric shares similarities with the player efficiency rating (PER), as many recipients of the IBM Award also ranked among the top performers in PER during their winning seasons.
Notes
- Secured the NBA Most Valuable Player Award within the same season.
- Earned the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award during the same season.
- Hakeem Olajuwon, originally from Nigeria, became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1993.
- In May 1997, Zaire was renamed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Tim Duncan, born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and a U.S. citizen who competed on the U.S. Olympic Team, is classified by the NBA as an international player.
See also
References
General (list of winners and teams)
Specific