With the All-Star break behind us and the Oscars on Sunday, now is as good a time as any to hand out some NBA awards. This year has had a lot of intrigue, plenty of drama and a ridiculous amount of team-player animosity, so there's no shortage of categories we can recognize. From the Kawhi Leonard trade to Anthony Davis' stare down with the Pelicans, fans have had plenty to complain and yell about on Twitter.
And isn't that what the NBA is all about? Well, that and striving for championships. Everyone in the league is writing their own screenplay, but sometimes you need a little bit of help. James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George are having MVP-caliber seasons, but that's not to sell Leonard short in Toronto -- he's been outstanding as well.
With that being said, for all of the drama on the court, there's one storyline with a script so compelling, it threatened to sweep up every major award. So, without further ado, here are the winners of the 2019 NBA Oscars, featuring everyone from players to coaches.
Best Director
Winner: Rich Paul, Klutch Sports Group
It takes tremendous planning -- not to mention chutzpah -- to organize one of the most influential trade demands in NBA history, and that's exactly what super-agent Rich Paul did when he upended the NBA universe by announcing his client Anthony Davis was ready to leave New Orleans. Not only did Paul break the news early on a Monday morning, ensuring maximum coverage from every sports outlet in the world for the entire week, but he also chose to go on the record with the demand to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, knowing full well that his client would get fined. Paul almost assuredly paid the $25,000 fine that Davis incurred, and clearly felt it was important that the demand come from him, and not from anonymous sources. Baller status.
That was followed by leaks about Davis not wanting to sign long-term in Boston, which some feel may have been perpetuated by Paul, and then a report came out saying the Celtics believed Paul planted a story about Kyrie Irving wanting out of Boston in order to scare them away from trying to trade for Davis. If true, these are some Game of Thrones level chess moves.
It remains to bee seen whether Paul will get AD to the Lakers to play with his most famous client, LeBron James. What's certain, however, is that Paul's latest flex has cemented him as one of the most powerful figures in the NBA. -- Colin Ward-Henninger
Best Actor
Winner: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans (sort of)
DiCaprio. Day-Lewis. Bale. You can add one more name to the list of great male actors of our time. After remaining silent for most of his trade demand aftermath, Davis opened up at All-Star Weekend and gave a performance for the ages. Despite multiple reports saying his preferred destinations were the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks and Bucks, Davis insisted in front of a live national audience that "all 29 teams" were on his list, and the only thing he cares about is winning.
He stumbles a bit in the middle when he goes through the whole "honestly whatever team, you know, I get traded to, um, you know, play for it, that year or whatever, if I get traded, I'm not sure" section, but man does he bring it home at the end as he looks directly into the camera with that ear-to-ear grin and the Bill Clinton-esque declaration: "I never gave a destination. Anthony Davis has never gave a destination where he wants to play."
It's bringing tears to my eyes once again just re-watching it. Give that man his trophy. -- Colin Ward-Henninger
Best Supporting Actor
Winner: CJ McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
This will be debated, and some may say that this is a lifetime achievement award from the Academy, but CJ McCollum continues to be a model of consistency as the Robin to Damian Lillard's Batman. McCollum is averaging 21 points per game in a Blazers backcourt that, for most teams, wouldn't have enough scoring to go around. And really, just look at these numbers from McCollum in the years leading up to this one.
Basketball Reference
He plays the bit like Sam Rockwell, stealing the show when he's on but knowing when to let others chew up scenery. The result is a seamless transition in the Blazers backcourt.
McCollum is a model of consistency for the Trail Blazers, and he deserves his due for it. The Blazers are 35-23, good for fourth in the West, but they have bigger goals this season. For starters, they need to have some playoff success. McCollum infamously tweeted "I'm trying Jennifer" when a Twitter user told him to win a playoff game. Needless to say, the Blazers are hoping this year will be different. It'll be tough in a stacked Western Conference, but so far they've gotten by just fine taking care of their business. -- Kevin Skiver
Best Costume Design
Winner: James Harden, Houston Rockets
Russell Westbrook is the Meryl Streep of this category, so it's no easy task for an outsider to usurp the throne from a perennial winner. But that's exactly what Harden has done this season. From a garish Hawaiian "Miami Vice" homage ton over-sized baseball uniform to a green raincoat with a message stapled to its shoulder, Harden has pushed the boundaries of fashion (and common sense) to their logical extremes. No style choice made more headlines, however, than Harden's snakeskin shorts-suit he wore to the Rockets' nationally televised game against the Lakers in December.
Perhaps not so coincidentally, Harden went out and dropped a 50-burger on the Lakers that night. He may be in contention for his second straight MVP this season, but Harden has already achieved the status of NBA fashion icon. -- Colin Ward-Henninger
Best Live-Action Short
Winner: Golden State Warriors
Fergie's NBA legacy will not be that of a Black Eyed Peas songstress who no doubt provided a bevy of bouncy warm-up tracks for countless players throughout the league. Instead she'll be remembered for her disastrous unique interpretation of the national anthem prior to the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. The embarrassing situation was exacerbated by a live reaction shot from Warriors forward Draymond Green, who was shown unsuccessfully attempting to rein in a laugh and a smile in plain view of millions of fans watching at home.
Old wounds were rehashed this season, when Fergie's ex-husband Josh Duhamel called Green "kind of a prick" for his outburst during the anthem and lack of apology afterward. Knowing what we know about Green, we could be sure that he would retaliate, and he did it in the form of a Warriors dance video (featuring Green and teammates Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, DeMarcus Cousins, Quinn Cook and Jordan Bell) to a DJ Suede remix of the infamous anthem. It was the perfect revenge, bolstered by a breakout performances from youngsters Alfonzo McKinnie and a scene-stealing Damian Jones. -- Colin Ward-Henninger
Best Visual Effects
Winner: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Remember all those years you spent thinking Inspector Gadget was fiction? We were all proven wrong during Sunday's All-Star Game, when Giannis Antetokoumpo proved that, as many of us suspected, he is a bionic man. On a ridiculously high bounce pass from Stephen Curry that nearly grazed the Spectrum Center rafters, the Greek Freak extended his mechanical right limb above the box on the backboard to throw down the most jaw-dropping play of the year. -- Colin Ward-Henninger
Best Film Editing
Winner: Michael Malone, Denver Nuggets
What the Nuggets are doing this season is nothing short of ridiculous. They're second in the Western Conference with a rotating door of a lineup due to injuries and a myriad of factors. They've had 15 different starting lineups this year, and in February they're finally getting healthy again. Nikola Jokic is the one player they've gotten consistency out of, which is good, because he's been outstanding and arguably basketball's best passing big.
Michael Malone has been masterful in swapping players in and out all year, and it's paid off for the Nuggets. Plugging and playing players has kept the Nuggets' season intact, and now they finally seem to be getting healthy. His skill in After Effects has been nothing short of amazing.
The only team ahead of the Nuggets in the West is, of course, the Warriors. So how have the Nuggets weathered this storm that has seen injuries to Paul Millsap, Gary Harris, Jamal Murray and Will Barton? By playing a prehistoric brand of basketball that works because of Jokic's unique skill set. The Nuggets are 27th in the NBA in pace, with only the Houston Isos, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies behind them. Jokic's passing ability, however, gives the Nuggets an edge in the halfcourt, an edge that they utilize well. Michael Malone isn't trying to make the Nuggets something they're not, and thus far this season it's paid dividends for the Nuggets -- now the key is to carry that into the playoffs. -- Kevin Skiver
Best Documentary Short
Winner: Everyone involved in Jimmy Butler's meltdown
Ever since Jimmy Butler has been traded to the 76ers, it's been pretty easy to forget about what a catastrophe things were prior to the season. If you need a reminder (you shouldn't), Butler returned to Minnesota Timberwolves' practice and turned it into a circus, reportedly leading the Wolves' third-stringers to a scrimmage win and yelling "you f------ need me! You can't win without me!"
This is probably what the documentary of Christian Bale on the set of "Terminator: Salvation" would look like. And much like the 2019 Timberwolves, the documentary of the production of that movie would be a lot better than the final product.
Butler and the Timberwolves had an uneasy truce after that, with Butler averaging 21.3 points in 10 games before being traded to the 76ers. The Timberwolves seem to have trouble coming to grips with what happened in the immediate aftermath, and the nonstop coverage of the event -- and its fallout -- seemed exhausting. Thankfully, since the trade there hasn't been a lot of drama in Philadelphia, and the 76ers seem poised to make a run in the East with an incredibly strong starting lineup that has since added Tobias Harris. -- Kevin Skiver
Best Adapted Screenplay
Winner: Kristaps Porzingis and the New York Knicks
The NBA trade deadline was absolutely wild this year. Rumor after rumor swirled around the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis, but out of nowhere, Kristaps Porzingis came in and recreated Davis' bit. It was leaked that Porzingis had requested a trade, but unlike the Pelicans, the Knicks acquiesced within the hour and traded Porzingis to the Mavericks.
In a deadline full of rumors and speculation, Porzingis and the Knicks created a remake of Davis and the Pelicans with a fantastic twist. Porzingis joined the Mavericks, and as he continues to rehab from injury, they have a bright future. The drama escalated in record time, and though we haven't heard a lot from Porzingis since, we certainly will when he returns.
Porzingis even said himself that the Knicks have been disingenuous in their telling of the situation, saying that the truth will come out. There are those who think the timing of the trade was a bit too sudden -- and abrupt -- for him to have asked out a mere hour earlier. It kept everyone guessing, and to an extent isn't that a hall mark of effective storytelling? -- Kevin Skiver
Best Sound Mixing
Winner: Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors
Another star that burned bright, Leonard's laugh had the NBA world weak. When he was giving his introductory press conference, Leonard was talking about his personality, and he cracked a little joke. He followed it up with this:
Leonard has ultimately seemed content in Toronto, and he's having a very solid season. Perhaps not MVP-caliber at this point, but the Raptors are legitimate contenders in the East, thanks in no small part to Leonard's presence. Laughing at Leonard's laugh isn't the move here -- we want him to laugh more, not clam up -- but it was just such a great moment at such an inopportune time for a player who was met with intense scrutiny last season.
The GIF of Leonard's reaction has been done to death in response to jokes of questionable content, and it still gets a lot of run on NBA Twitter. This was a runaway. -- Kevin Skiver
