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LeBron James was quick to crack jokes about Mike Conley being a longtime NBA Sportsmanship Award winner this week. During a recent appearance on Old Man & The Three, Utah Jazz standout Lauri Markkanen was asked whether or not Mike Conley is the nicest guy he's ever been around. Markkanen agreed, given that Conley has won four Sportsmanship Awards during his career.
The clip, which was posted by Mike Conley on his @Mac11 Instagram account and included the caption: 'Good Guys Finish First episode two' then cuts to Conley. The clip takes an entertaining and humorous shift as Conley walks a fine line between entertainment and reality.
As Conley explained, not many players in NBA history have his track record when it comes to being a good sportsman and a fine teammate. In a clip that was included in the podcast, Conley speaks about how players like Michael Jordan and Bill Russell have numerous rings, but nobody can match his awards.
As he explained, heading into his 17th season in the NBA, Conley is eager to extend his lead over Grant Hill in second place, who has three of the awards. With his sights set on winning the award a historic fifth time, Conley has no plans of letting anyone in the league out-nice him.
Of course, LeBron James was quick to crack a joke over the situation. The four-time NBA champ and future Hall of Famer who has taken pride in being a 'funny guy' throughout his career, wrote in an Instagram story.
"The 1 and only Good Guy who finishes first!"
Mike Conley's comments about winning NBA Sportsmanship award prior to a joke made by LeBron James
While Mike Conley was partially serious given the fact that his status as a four-time Sportsmanship Award winner puts him in a league of his own, the video was humorous. As Conley explained, his competitive spirit fuels his desire to be the nicest guy around.
It all started back when he and Greg Oden were teammates, with Oden frequently holding the door for Conley, and others. One day, the guard decided to flip the script, running ahead to beat Oden to the door in order to 'out-nice' him.
As he explained in episode two of the Good Guys Finish First series:
"A lot of people know me as the only guy who's ever won four NBA Sportsmanship Awards. I was teammate of the year a couple times, yeah sportsmanship it's what I do. ... In a way, my good sportsmanship is an extension of my competitiveness. ... I actually am competitive about being nice."
While the video was a humorous one, that even included a clip of Conley having a nice-off, it also made Utah fans miss him. As fans were quick to respond in the comments, Utah will miss Mike Conley for his sportsmanship.
