NBATA Sports Medicine Awards 2020

National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association Awards Annual Season Honors for 2019-2020 Season

Recognitions for Joe O’Toole/David Craig Athletic Training Staff of the Year and NBA Physician of the Year Awards

ATLANTA-The National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association (NBATA) announced the recipients of the 2019-2020 NBA season awards during the association’s annual virtual meetings in May 2020.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Utah Jazz athletic training staffs were co-recipients of the Joe O’Toole/David Craig Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award. O’Toole, a long-time former head athletic trainer for the Atlanta Hawks, is regarded as the father of the NBATA and received the inaugural Athletic Trainer of the Year Award after the 1981-1982 NBA season. David Craig, a long time Indiana Pacers’ head athletic trainer, was known for hiring outstanding athletic training assistants, many of whom became NBA head athletic trainers. The Joe O’Toole/David Craig Athletic Training Staff of the Year Award is nominated and voted on by all NBATA members, who consider the following factors when voting: an extraordinary act (such as saving someone’s life), volunteer activities, on-court/off-court athlete care, providing athletic training education, other awards or recognitions for exceptional achievement, providing medical care in the Olympics, or induction into the NATA Hall of Fame. The Jazz and Thunder staffs were tasked with handling the first NBA case of COVID-19 and managing their players and staffs testing and returning them home safely.

Dr. James Barrett, the team physician for the Oklahoma City Thunder, was awarded the NBA Physician of the Year for the 2019-2020 NBA season. This award is nominated and voted on by all NBATA members to honor a team physician who provides outstanding service and exemplary medical care to his team, visiting teams, and the NBA family.