Spurs’ Buford Wins Executive of the Year

San Antonio Spurs General Manager R.C. Buford is the recipient of the 2013-14 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year award, the NBA announced today.

Buford assembled a roster this season that featured six players averaging double figures in scoring and eight players averaging 20 or more minutes. The Spurs clinched homecourt advantage for the 2014 postseason by virtue of having posted the league’s best record at 62-20 (.756). San Antonio was the only team to record 30-plus wins both at home (32-9, .780) and on the road (30-11, .732), and the 2013-14 campaign marked the 15th consecutive season that the Spurs posted 50-plus wins – an NBA record.

The longstanding trio of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker has been fortified in recent years with the additions of Boris Diaw, Kawhi Leonard and Patty Mills (third seasons with the team), as well as Danny Green and Tiago Splitter (fourth seasons with the team). Buford added Marco Belinelli this past offseason, who fit seamlessly into the rotation, with averages of 11.4 ppg (fifth on the team) and 25.2 mpg (fourth on the team).

Buford becomes the third Spurs Executive to win the award, joining Angelo Drossos (1977-78 season) and Bob Bass (1989-90 season). The Spurs tied the fifth-longest winning streak in NBA history this season, when they peeled off 19 consecutive victories between Feb. 26-April 2.

In his 23rd year with the franchise, Buford has previously held the positions of Assistant Coach, Head Scout, Director of Scouting and Vice President/Assistant General Manager before being tabbed with his current title as Spurs General Manager in July, 2002. Buford also holds the overarching title of President of Sports Franchises for Spurs Sports & Entertainment, presiding over the WNBA’s San Antonio Stars, the NBA Development League’s Austin Toros and the San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League, in addition to the Spurs.

Buford totaled 58 points and received nine first-place votes from a panel of his fellow team basketball executives throughout the NBA. The Phoenix Suns’ Ryan McDonough finished second with 47 points (five first-place votes) votes and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Neil Olshey finished third with 34 points (five first-place votes).  Executives were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Below are the results of the voting for the 2013-14 NBA Basketball Executive of the Year. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP.

2013-14 NBA BASKETBALL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR VOTING RESULTS

Executive, Team                          1st           2nd          3rd           Total

R.C. Buford, San Antonio         9             3             4             58

Ryan McDonough, Phoenix         5             6             4             47

Neil Olshey, Portland                   5             2             3             34

Masai Ujiri, Toronto                      3             3             4             28

Pat Riley, Miami                           1             3             1             15

Sam Presti, Oklahoma City           1             3             1             15

Danny Ainge, Boston                   1             2             2             13

Billy King, Brooklyn                    2             —             1             11

Daryl Morey, Houston                  —             3             1             10

Ernie Grunfeld, Washington         1             1             2             10

Rod Higgins, Charlotte                 1             —             1             6

Larry Bird, Indiana                       —             2             —             6

Doc Rivers, L.A. Clippers            —             1             3             6

Bob Myers, Golden State             1             —             —             5

Danny Ferry, Atlanta                    —             1             —             3

Gar Forman, Chicago                    —             —             2             2

Donnie Nelson, Dallas                  —             —             1             1

ALL-TIME NBA BASKETBALL 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
2011-12  Larry Bird, Indiana
2012-13  Masai Ujiri, Denver
2013-14  R.C. Buford, San Antonio