LeBron James was quick to joke about Mike Conley’s long-standing NBA Sportsmanship Award this week. On a recent appearance on “Old Man and Three,” Utah Jazz standout Lauri Markkanen was asked if Mike Conley was the best person he had ever met. Given that Conley has won the Sportsmanship Award four times in his career, Markkanen agreed.
The video was posted by Mike Conley on his @Mac11 Instagram account with the caption: “Good Guys Finishing Episode 1 Episode 2,” before cutting to Conley. The video takes a fun and humorous turn as Conley walks the line between entertainment and reality.
As Conley explained, there aren’t many players in NBA history who have a track record like his when it comes to being a great athlete and a great teammate. In a video included in the podcast, Conley talked about how players like Michael Jordan and Bill Russell have countless rings, but no one can match their awards.
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As Conley explained, entering his 17th season in the NBA, he’s eager to extend his lead over No. 2 Grant Hill, who has three awards. Conley is aiming to win the award for a historic fifth time, and he doesn’t intend to let anyone in the league be better than him.
Of course, LeBron James was quick to joke about the situation. The four-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer wrote in an Instagram Story that he has prided himself on being a “funny guy” throughout his career.
“The first and only good guy to win first place!”
Mike Conley comments on winning NBA Sportsmanship Award before LeBron James jokes
Although Mike Conley’s attitude is somewhat serious, as his status as a four-time Sportsmanship Award winner puts him in a league of his own, the video is humorous. As Conley explained, his competitive spirit fuels his desire to be the best around him.
It all started when he and Greg Oden were teammates, and Oden would often open the door for Conley and others. One day the guard decided to flip the script and “get one better” than Oden by running ahead and grabbing him for the door.
As he explains in the second episode of the Good Men First series:
“A lot of people know that I’m the only person to win the NBA Sportsmanship Award four times. I’ve been Teammate of the Year multiple times, and yeah, sportsmanship is what I do. … In a way, My good sportsmanship is an extension of my sportsmanship. My competitiveness… I’m actually competitive in being nice.”
While the video was humorous and even included a clip of Conley celebrating, it also made Utah fans miss him. Mike Conley’s sportsmanship will be missed in Utah as fans were quick to respond in the comments.