Beck, Holmes, MacMahon, Powell, Quick win in 2018 PBWA Blumenthal Memorial Writing Contest

Howard Beck, Baxter Holmes, Tim MacMahon, Shaun Powell and Jason Quick have been named first-place winners in the 2018 PBWA Blumenthal Memorial Writing Contest, which honors the best work by members of the Professional Basketball Writers Association during the 2018 calendar year.

Beck, of Bleacher Report, won the Columns category for his commentary on the blockbuster trade that sent Blake Griffin from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Detroit Pistons.

Holmes, of ESPN.com, received top honors in the Game Stories category for his moving account of Game 3 of the first-round playoff series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Golden State Warriors.

MacMahon, of ESPN.com, placed first in the Magazine-length Features category for his piece on J.J. Barea’s devotion to Puerto Rico following a devastating hurricane. The category honors articles longer than 2,500 words.

Powell, of NBA.com, won the Moderate-length Features category for his look at Ron Artest, whose openness about his battle against mental illness paved the way for other professional athletes to address their own mental-health struggles. The category recognizes articles up to 2,500 words.

Quick, of The Athletic, won the Breaking News category for his obituary of Paul Allen, who owned the Portland Trail Blazers franchise.

Five independent judges, all with extensive experience as writers or editors at major publications, evaluated the entries — one judge per category. The authors’ names and the names of the authors’ news outlets were redacted in all areas of the contest submissions before the judges received the articles for judging.

Founded in 1973, the Professional Basketball Writers Association is a nonprofit membership organization comprised of people who regularly cover the NBA for newspapers, internet outlets and magazines.

During the 2018 calendar year, the PBWA had approximately 230 members.

The writing contest is named after Dan Blumenthal, who worked as the PBWA’s secretary-treasurer from 1980 through 1983.

Results of the 2018 PBWA Blumenthal Memorial Writing Contest

Breaking News

1st place: Jason Quick, The Athletic, “For Paul Allen, the Trail Blazers were more than his team, they were his passion”

Judge’s comment: This piece includes great, succinctly told anecdotes as well as short, punchy quotes. The author paces the writing well and yet includes lots of information. This piece also is balanced, featuring both positives and negatives about its subject. The writer drew information from a good variety of sources.

2nd place: Marc J. Spears, The Undefeated, “DeMarcus Cousins: ‘This was my chess move’ ”

Judge’s comment: This piece is a wonderful description of the quickly formed deal that brought DeMarcus Cousins to the Golden State Warriors. The story is a good one since Cousins apparently orchestrated his own signing. The author makes good use of short quotes and includes reaction from available sources, plus a bit of history from previous interviews.

3rd place: Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports, “Kawhi Leonard is the all-in risk that the Raptors and Masai Ujiri had to take”

Judge’s comment: The author writes in a clear, authoritative voice and provides significant information, history and perspective. While the author is clearly in favor of the move, the piece also includes a good explanation of options if the trade does not work out.

Honorable mention: Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press, “Dwyane Wade talks his return to Miami”

Judge’s comment: It is always great to have access to a source before a scheduled press conference formally announces the news. The writer incorporates additional background on the death and funeral of agent Henry Thomas and how Thomas’ death played a role in the deal.

Honorable mention: Rick Bonnell, The Charlotte Observer, “Hornets’ Michael Jordan on Kemba Walker trade reports, team’s struggles”

Judge’s comment: This piece is a great scoop from an elusive source. The article also was written as quickly as humanly possible.

Columns

1st place: Howard Beck, Bleacher Report, “Griffin Blockbuster May Have Been Right for Clippers, but It Was Also ‘Cold’ ”

Judge’s comment: What I loved about this was how the writer turned an observation of an ironic circumstance — the Clippers’ trophy case containing only the ping-pong balls that resulted in the team drafting Blake Griffin — into a statement on the irony of the regularly underachieving Clippers trading away Griffin, the one player whose intangible achievement of gaining respect for the team and luring fans belonged in a trophy case. Ironically, the story says, the trade makes perfect sense for a variety of reasons yet seems nonsensical (“hollow … joyless … callous”) nevertheless.

2nd place: Michael Grange, Rogers Sportsnet, “Red flag Kawhi Leonard trade will be career-defining for Masai Ujiri”

Judge’s comment: This column — one of several entries on the DeRozan/Leonard deal — did an excellent job in covering its multiple facets and in presenting both sides of an issue that needed that balance. (“Call it progress. Call it betrayal.”) It captures the irony of a team (and place) that found it hard to keep its best players now trading the star who loved Toronto unequivocally for an injured star who might not want to stay. It was, the writer says, “ … the defining moment of Ujiri’s career and marks the end of the Raptors’ innocence. …” It captures well the complexities of the entire situation and resists the urge to draw a simplistic conclusion.

3rd place: Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com, “Cleveland Cavaliers’ NBA Finals loss doesn’t change LeBron James’ incredible feat”

Judge’s comment: This is an excellent example of what I call the “game column” — taking the limited events of one game and putting it in a broader perspective, looking forward as well as back. It celebrates what James did to get the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and the satisfaction the writer observed from James as he did that, no matter the outcome. (“He seemed at peace. Content.”) It concludes, almost wistfully, that even LeBron could not make this impossible dream come true.

Honorable mention: Sean Highkin, Bleacher Report, “Jimmy Butler Drama Continuing to Take a Toll on Lifeless Minnesota Timberwolves”

Judge’s comment: Like LeBron James’ final games in Cleveland and the Raptors’ big trade for Kawhi Leonard, L’Affaire Butler was the subject of several entries. This one, another “game column” (sort of), used Butler’s absence from a game as a microcosm of all the absurdities in the situation. (“… he’s present. Sort of” and “The current state of the Timberwolves benefits no one. Not Butler, not Thibodeau and certainly not the other players.”) It also highlights how the immediate mess will have long-term damage and parcels out blame, even as it focuses on Thibodeau’s role as primary.

Honorable mention: Brian T. Smith, Houston Chronicle, “Rockets, Daryl Morey Outsmart Themselves With Carmelo Anthony”

Judge’s comment: This is the rare example of a “straw man” approach that works because it sets up a stark contrast between Morey’s intelligent path to build the team and what the writer sees as the Rockets’ cluelessness in handling the Anthony situation. It notes how crazy it seems for a GM who has made so many good decisions to have made this poor one — but also points out that this has been a pattern for the “smart” Morey. (“Risky experiments that go wrong. Tinkering too much.”) Broadening the perspective from just the Anthony case to a wider view was a very smart decision by the writer.

Game Stories

1st place: Baxter Holmes, ESPN.com, “Spurs lose to Warriors in Game 3 without Gregg Popovich”

Judge’s comment: The mood of the story mimicked the mood of the situation, the absence of a man who lost his wife, and the scene was subdued, captured in its subtleties. The piece included great quotes, including one from Lil Wayne from Twitter that give perspective from an audience usually ignored. The piece includes a great anecdote from Mrs. Popovich, ribbing the coach about his sometimes surly responses to media, giving great insight into Erin Popovich. Plus, Steve Kerr was also perfect for perspective. This is a memorable piece for a major moment.

2nd place: James L. Edwards III, The Athletic, “In Toronto, a day of validation for Dwane Casey — even if he won’t admit it”

Judge’s comment: The story was of validation and the story validated every important moment. It captured Casey’s personality, with great quotes from him and players, weaving in tremendous description, culminating in the game’s final sequence in which Detroit needed a final out-of-bounds play, something Casey had practiced every day, to incredibly and ironically pull out the triumph.

3rd place: Shaun Powell, NBA.com, “LeBron James’ greatness overshadowed by 36 befuddling seconds”

Judge’s comment: This story had the most ground to cover in perhaps the biggest game of the season with perhaps the most-remembered moment affecting the game’s greatest player. It got a quote from Kevin Durant, giving perspective to J.R. Smith’s bizarre regulation ending to bring the ball out and not shoot during a tied game, perhaps thinking his team was a point ahead. The story went beyond Smith’s blunder, and it needed to because of the magnitude of the game, the play of LeBron James and the critical block-charge call that really determined the outcome.

Honorable mention: Mike Vorkunov, The Athletic, “Day after the devastating injury to Porzingis, the shattered Knicks have to rethink everything”

Judge’s comment: The description of the injury, the impact it had and the clever moments of language and perspective gave the reader a great sense of the magnitude of the situation. One example is this line: “Porzingis had taken on the mantle of franchise pillar after the September trade of Carmelo Anthony and lived up to the burden.” Another example: “The diagnosis that sent Knick fans towards the bottle again — at least the ones that were not yet drunk on masochism.”

Honorable mention: Chris Forsberg, ESPN.com, “Marcus Smart gives Celtics jolt of energy in Game 5 win over Bucks”

Judge’s comment: The tone was set early: Smart’s return and the effect of his mother’s cancer diagnosis. It characterized the entire piece, weaving in and out of descriptive game detail, especially a key loose ball that was key to the win. It was a special game for an important player, who stole the show on a big stage.

Magazine-length Features

1st place: Tim MacMahon, ESPN.com, “ ‘The people know that Jose Juan is part of Puerto Rico. He feels it.’ ”

Judge’s comment: This was a powerful and compelling read. The topic had all the elements of a great story — the dramatic devastation of the island from an historic storm, the candor of NBA guard J.J. Barea as he waited an excruciating five days to learn that his family was safe and the uncommon compassion and generosity he displayed as he came to the aid of his homeland. The reporting was excellent and the writing was clean, precise and dynamic. The author told the story without getting in the way of the subject matter — not an easy task — and pulled the reader into the piece by taking the reader to Puerto Rico.

2nd place: Mirin Fader, Bleacher Report, “The LaMelo Show”

Judge’s comment: This entry is a little dated and not nearly as relevant as it would have been this time last year, but this is one of those original articles that you can’t stop reading. The author takes you to Lithuania, introduces you to the Ball family dynamics and does a superb job detailing the trying, daily existence of a young man whose father dragged him halfway around the world for the sole purpose of promoting his sneaker line and hoping to strike a huge payday. The reporting is phenomenal, particularly the exchanges between LaVar Ball and the embattled coaches, and the chronicling of how quickly the situation deteriorated. You feel like you are there, in Lithuania, suffering along with LaMelo.

3rd place: Jared Weiss, The Athletic, “ ‘36 hours with no sleep’: Oral history of the aftermath of Gordon Hayward’s injury”

Judge’s comment: Oral histories too frequently come off as gimmicky despite the push these days for “alternative storytelling.” But this piece works wonderfully because it digs beneath the surface. The main subject, Gordon Hayward, bares his soul and brings the reader along for the ride. The author doesn’t simply quote Hayward, his wife, teammates and coaches; the author pulls the shock, angst and relief — all the emotions — out of those who were interviewed. This was a piece you couldn’t stop reading, and it only works because the author elicited candid responses and expertly weaved them together.

Honorable mention: Jackie MacMullan, ESPN.com, “To medicate or not? The thorny mental health issue in the NBA”

Judge’s comment: This article draws attention to an issue that is receiving increasing attention throughout professional sports. In his final seasons, Ron Artest made a great contribution to the basketball community when he revealed his struggles with mental health issues and gave a shout-out to his psychiatrist after winning the championship with the Lakers. But this article is unique because Shane Larkin went further than Artest. Larkin granted remarkable access and didn’t duck the issues. The devil is in the details, and the author wasn’t sparing. The author elicits insightful anecdotes, painful memories, powerful quotes and puts it together beautifully. The author allows the story to be the star. That, of course, requires excellent reporting and writing. Very nicely done.

Honorable mention: Reid Forgrave, CBSSports.com, “How Jazz star Donovan Mitchell and Salt Lake City came together to form a perfect underdog identity”

Judge’s comment: This was a delightful read and, in many respects, an impactful piece. The Jazz are a small-market team that tends to fly under the radar. Yet for those who have spent time in Salt Lake City and around the franchise, there is much to appreciate, as Donovan Mitchell discovered. This piece has an original theme — a young African-American who comes from New York City (unlike Karl Malone) and has spent most of his life around professional sports. As the author notes, there is no Rucker League in Utah. But not so fast. The author chronicles Mitchell’s own underdog rise to NBA stardom and details how a big-city prospect and an NBA small market fell in love. The author also does an excellent job placing the Jazz — and comparable small markets — in context, noting both the advantages (comfort, convenience) and the disadvantages (bright lights of MSG, Boston Garden, Staples Center). Readers undoubtedly learned a lot from this article.

Moderate-length Features

1st place: Shaun Powell, NBA.com, “Ron Artest finds peace amid mental health journey”

Judge’s comment: A good writer puts you in the room with her or his subject and makes you feel like you are almost part of the conversation. This story did that. The prose was fluid, conversational and stylish. The lead was elegant and poetic without straining to be so. The reporting was deep and contextual. The quotes were potent and full of vitality. If you are of a certain age, you know Ron Artest as an enigmatic figure in basketball lore. This story stripped away the enigma, while also stripping away the stigma of one of our most pressing and bedeviling national issues: mental illness. Bravo.

2nd place: Brad Townsend, The Dallas Morning News, “She was ready to choose motherhood over an NBA career. Now she’s blazing dual trails as the Mavericks’ first female coach.”

Judge’s comment: “First woman’’ stories tend to suffer under the weight of awful clichés and self-righteous assumptions. This story about Jenny Boucek’s journey is richly told because the reporting and writing centers, lives and breathes in the nuances of her story. She’s a pioneer living a trailblazing moment. Yet this story expertly takes us into that moment to see the extraordinary ordinariness of this amazing woman. This could have easily devolved into the polemical. It doesn’t go there. Instead, it honors the coach’s tale with the honesty and integrity that comes from clear eyes, getting awfully close to your subject while also getting out of the way of her story to tell it with subtlety, distinctiveness and powerful detail. Brava.

3rd place: Gina Mizell, The Athletic, “ ‘This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing basketball’: Inside Deandre Ayton’s dazzling NBA debut”

Judge’s comment: This is the most fun I’ve ever had reading an NBA rookie-debut story. Insightful in its reporting, incisive in its detail, energetic in its pacing and structure, tight in its editing, the story was like a theme-park ride — fun, fast, invigorating, surprising and all-too-quickly over. Delightful!

Honorable mention: Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press, “The interview remains critical in the NBA draft process”

Judge’s comment: In this age of contradiction — saturated sports coverage yet hyper-restricted access — stories that take readers behind the scenes to view important processes they never get to see is what truly makes good sports writing valuable and noteworthy. This story takes readers up to the 16th floor of a swanky Chicago hotel and inside the process that can make or break an NBA prospect. The reporter’s microscopic attention to detail puts the reader at the table and sets a memorable scene that stays with you long after reading it. Nice work.

Honorable mention: Sean Highkin, Bleacher Report, “For NBA’s Best Shooters, Missing Free Throws Is Tougher Than It Looks”

Judge’s comment: This was one of the most original stories among the contest entries: a counterintuitive, vivid dissection of how games are lost when a player doesn’t know how to muff a shot. Tightly weaving expert testimony with telling statistics, the reporter spins an engaging story that ensnares you from the lead and doesn’t let you go until the end. This offbeat story takes you to the free-throw line and puts you inside the sweaty heads of players trained not to miss, and lets you feel their anxiety. In the process, the story messed with my head — and I loved it.