Naismith Legacy Awards — Naismith.com
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What is the purpose of the Naismith Legacy Award?
The Naismith Legacy Award is presented to players, coaches and other individuals or organizations from the game of basketball honoring their role in furthering the values of Honor, Respect and Integrity, both on and off the court. The recipients are honored by the NLG at special ceremonies at select Tour locations.
How are the Naismith Legacy Award recipients determined?
Unique among sports honors, most of which are granted annually after a competitive process, the NL Award is given on an ad-hoc basis, meaning not in regular or schedules timeframes. Recipients are nominated by a distinguished NL Nominating Committee, and then selected by the NL Board of Directors and Selection Committee for their role in furthering the values of fun, respect, integrity, honor and teamwork that Dr. Naismith wrote into the “Original Rules.”
What are the details of the Naismith Legacy Award?
The NL Award which stands about 2 ½ feet tall and weighs about 80 pounds features a specially commissioned 3 dimensional sculpture by Michael Roche of Dr. Naismith standing in the YMCA gym during the 1890’s. The work is based on photographs of Dr. Naismith and the YMCA gymnasium where he invented the basketball the winter of 1891. Renowned artist / sculptor Michael Roche, who specializes in highly detailed collectibles, created the sculpture, which bears the inscription: “In Recognition of the Invention of Basketball and a Life Lived with Honor” and a copy of the 13 rules he placed on the bulletin board etched on the back of award. Roche’s work includes some of the most prestigious clients, sports figures and unique artwork for any awards including, “gunslingers” golfers” and movie characters like Wizard of Oz and sports figures like, Old Tom Morris, Newt Rockne and legendary athlete Jim Thorpe.
When presenting the award, we require being included in a current event within the recipient’s organization or town, or a special event built around the presentation itself. The award is financed by the local businesses and organizations who partner in promoting the recipient.
The “Mid-Size” Naismith Legacy Award stands about 14” high, weighs about 10 pounds and is used to honor top volunteers, coaches, officials, donors or sponsors of your organization. Most awards are funded by the organization or a local sponsor who wants to be affiliated with such a prestigious award. We have the award qualification form and nomination form for you to use in the selection process. For example, we have had great success in using this as a “Coach of the Year” award in local high schools and as a year-end award for the coaches in the whole county presented at the year-end banquet. It also works well as a “Volunteer / Sponsor / Donor Appreciation” award.
What is the Doc Naismith Award?
The Doc Naismith Award recipients exemplify the core values the Dr. Naismith lived by and we honor like: respect, teamwork, sportsmanship, honesty, servant hood, integrity and excellence. The award is the “Naismith figure” part of the Naismith Legacy Award and stands about 8” high. The focus of this award honors players, volunteers or coaches. We have the award qualification form and nomination form for you to use in the selection process. 
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