NBA Announces Honor for Pelicans' DeAndre Jordan

New Orleans Pelicans veteran center DeAndre Jordan is the NBA‘s 2025-26 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award winner, the league announced on Wednesday.

This award has been presented each year since its introduction in 2012-13, recognizing the “player deemed the league's best teammate, based on selfless play, leadership and commitment to the team.”

Jordan was the lead vote getter over several other veteran players, including Portland’s Jrue Holiday, Houston’s Jeff Green and Toronto’s Garrett Temple. The 37-year-old big man was one of 12 finalists for the award (six for each conference).

Jordan succeeds last year’s Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year winner, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors. Mike Conley won the award in 2024, and Jrue Holiday (a three-time winner) went back to back in 2022 and 2023.

Jordan entered the NBA as a second-round draft pick for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2008. The one-time All-Star and two-time NBA rebounding leader just finished his 18th season in the league.

Jordan served as a veteran leader for a young Pelicans squad in 2025-26. He appeared in just 12 games for New Orleans, averaging 4.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game.

"He's a psychologist, he's a mentor, he's a friend, he's a cheerleader, he's a coach and he's wearing five to six different hats every night," Pelicans coach James Borrego said earlier this year. "The beauty in DeAndre is, whatever is required in the moment, he's willing to step and give.

"And sometimes that's an X or O or it's just love. And that's not easy to do. That's what makes him so special."

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 11:05 AM.