The NBA has been announcing award winners over the last few days, including Kon Knueppel not being Rookie of the Year. On Thursday, the league announced the winner of one of the most anticipated awards NBA fans look forward to every year–the Kia NBA Hustle Award. Everyone has always cared a great deal about it. And this year’s winner is none other than Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabate.
As far as I know, it’s the only NBA award that is based on objective statistical criteria and not votes, which is good, otherwise it would just be some random role player on a 1 seed or the Lakers every year. The objectivity makes it so someone on a less heralded team can get the recognition they deserve, and Moussa fits that bill.
The NBA shared all the stats that went into the calculations. He was elite at boxing out on both boards, setting screen assists, and contesting shots both from two and from three. For anyone that watched a lot of Hornets games this past season, none of that is a surprise. There are few, if any players that play with the relentlessness that Diabate does. He found ways to disrupt games in every which way, which is why his insertion into the starting lineup helped catapult the Hornets into relevance.
Diabate looks to be a staple of the center spot for the Hornets for the foreseeable future. He’s not a perfect player by any means, but his defensive impact and improving offensive game are such a perfect fit with the rest of the star players on the team. And he’s such an easy guy to root for. Jeff Peterson and company really found a diamond in the rough after the Clippers opted to let his two-way contract expire at the end of the 2024 season.
