It’s fitting that the two teams on a collision course for the Eastern Conference Finals (and with it, the ultimate right to deny Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks their first league title) produced the league’s top front office men.
Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman and Miami Heat President Pat Riley are co-recipients of the 2010-11 NBA Executive of the Year award, the NBA announced today. So that’s Coach of the Year in Tom Thibodeau, MVP in Derrick Rose, the league’s best record and now Exec of the year.
In his 13th season with Chicago and second as its general manager, Forman saw the Bulls win a league-best 62 games, rookie coach Tom Thibodeau earn the Red Auerbach Trophy as the 2010-11 NBA Coach of the Year, and Derrick Rose become the youngest player to win the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2010-11 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player. Forman transformed a 41-win Bulls team by signing free agents Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer, and Kyle Korver among others.
Riley entered his 16th season with the Heat as the architect of arguably one of the most successful offseasons in NBA history. Riley re-signed Dwyane Wade, and signed perennial All-Stars Chris Bosh and LeBron James to form the core of a team that went on to win 58 games and capture the second seed in the Eastern Conference.
Forman and Riley received each received 11 of a possible 30 votes from a panel of their fellow team executives throughout the NBA. The Bulls’ John Paxson finished third with three votes and San Antonio’s R.C. Buford finished fourth with two votes. Oklahoma City’s Sam Presti, New Jersey’s Billy King and New York’s Donnie Walsh received one vote each.
ALL-TIME NBA EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1972-73 Joe Axelson, K.C./Omaha
1973-74 Eddie Donovan, Buffalo
1974-75 Dick Vertlieb, Golden State
1975-76 Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix
1976-77 Ray Patterson, Houston
1977-78 Angelo Drossos, San Antonio
1978-79 Bob Ferry, Washington
1979-80 Red Auerbach, Boston
1980-81 Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix
1981-82 Bob Ferry, Washington
1982-83 Zollie Volchok, Seattle
1983-84 Frank Layden, Utah
1984-85 Vince Boryla, Denver
1985-86 Stan Kasten, Atlanta
1986-87 Stan Kasten, Atlanta
1987-88 Jerry Krause, Chicago
1988-89 Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix
1989-90 Bob Bass, San Antonio
1990-91 Bucky Buckwalter, Portland
1991-92 Wayne Embry, Cleveland
1992-93 Jerry Colangelo, Phoenix
1993-94 Bob Whitsitt, Seattle
1994-95 Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers
1995-96 Jerry Krause, Chicago
1996-97 Bob Bass, Charlotte
1997-98 Wayne Embry, Cleveland
1998-99 Geoff Petrie, Sacramento
1999-00 John Gabriel, Orlando
2000-01 Geoff Petrie, Sacramento
2001-02 Rod Thorn, New Jersey
2002-03 Joe Dumars, Detroit
2003-04 Jerry West, Memphis
2004-05 Bryan Colangelo, Phoenix
2005-06 Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Clippers
2006-07 Bryan Colangelo, Toronto
2007-08 Danny Ainge, Boston
2008-09 Mark Warkentien, Denver
2009-10 John Hammond, Milwaukee
2010-11 Gar Forman, Chicago
Pat Riley, Miami