Portland's Damian Lillard claims Magic Johnson Award

WASHINGTON, May 2 (Xinhua) -- The Professional Basketball Writers Association announced Tuesday that Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has won the 2016-17 Magic Johnson Award.

The award honors a player who "best combines excellence on the basketball court with cooperation and dignity in dealing with the media and the public."

Lillard, 26, averaged a career-high 27 points, 5.9 assists, and 4.9 rebounds this season, leading the Blazers to the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, where they fell to the Golden State Warriors in four games.

Toronto's DeMar DeRozan, Indiana's Paul George, Golden State's Draymond Green and Atlanta's Paul Millsap were also finalists for the award.