Vietnamese players dominate nominations at VBA Awards 2023
Thursday, December 21, 2023, 10:29 GMT+7
To wrap up the 2023 VBA season, the league held an awards ceremony where several local players were honored for their contributions during the season.
This year, the VBA Awards 2023 ceremony, which recognized outstanding players from the group stage, was notably different from last year’s.
Specifically, awards for 'Handle of the Year,' 'Assist of the Year,' and 'Buzzer Beater of the Year' were removed from the program, while a new category acknowledging the most remarkable and emotionally-charged scoring situation of the season was added -- 'Basket of the Year.'
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| Nguyen Tien Duong (R) executes a counterattack at VBA 2023. Photo: VBA |
Remarkably, aside from the nomination of foreign superstar Kentrell Barkley of Saigon Heat, the remaining three candidates for the award were local players.
Among them, Nguyen Tien Duong of Hanoi Buffaloes stood for his quick steal and counterattack in the final seconds of the team’s first match of the season, sealing victory for the Buffaloes and exciting Hanoi basketball fans.
The play was definitely a highlight of the 33-year-old guard’s career and a memorable moment in the 2023 VBA season.
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| Truong Hoang Trung expresses jubilation after scoring a basket. Photo: VBA |
The second nominee for 'Basket of the Year' was 30-year-old Truong Hoang Trung of the Thang Long Warriors.
Trung was nominated for sinking a crucial three-pointer that directly contributed to a victory against the Cantho Catfish in extra time.
The third nomination went to Son Minh Tam of Nha Trang Dolphins.
In Match 33 of the season, the Dolphins found themselves without key player Madarious Gibbs, who had been disqualified from the matchup. Meanwhile, player Dominique Tham was working through a moderate injury.
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| Son Minh Tam consistently played a crucial role in guiding the Nha Trang Dolphins out of challenging situations at VBA 2023. Photo: VBA |
Despite the disadvantage, the Dolphins were able to stage a come-from-behind triumph thanks to Tam’s high level of play.
Beyond these local talents, the VBA 2023 season also saw the emergence of several other domestic players, including Nguyen Huynh Phu Vinh, the sole nominee from Vietnam in the 'Defensive Player of the Year' category.
Additionally, two young players, Le Khac Dang Khoa and Tran Van Trung, earned nominations in the 'Block of the Year' category.
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