BET Networks Presents 1st Annual PLAYERS AWARDS Tonight

BET Networks in partnership with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announces tonight, July 21st as the premiere date for the 1st Annual "Players' Awards". The first inaugural show will tape at the historic Penn & Teller Theater in the Rio Las Vegas Hotel and Casino on Sunday, July 19th.

The star-studded event will feature appearances by top NBA players including members on the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Executive Committee - Chris Paul, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala and Anthony Tolliver. Not only will the show have NBA star power, but will also feature performances by the hottest musical artists including renowned sports enthusiast and multi-platinum recording artist Lil Wayne.

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) decided to launch the 1st Annual "Players' Awards" due to the overwhelming response from its members and all categories have been voted by the NBA's active players.

The complete list of the "Top Voted Players" for the "Players' Awards" are (names are listed in alphabetical order):

Best Rookie
Jordan Clarkson
Zach LaVine
Elfrid Payton
Andrew Wiggins

Best Defender
Tony Allen
Jimmy Butler
Anthony Davis
DeAndre Jordan

Global Impact Player
Pau Gasol
Kyrie Irving
Dirk Nowitzki
Tony Parker

Clutch Performer:
Stephen Curry
James Harden
LeBron James
Russell Westbrook

Coach You Most Want to Play For
Mike Budenholzer
Rick Carlisle
Steve Kerr
Greg Popovich

Hardest to Guard
Stephen Curry
James Harden
LeBron James
Russell Westbrook

Best Home Court Advantage
AT&T Center (San Antonio)
Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City)
Moda Center (Portland)
Oracle Arena (Golden State)

Player You Secretly Wish was On Your Team:
Stephen Curry
Anthony Davis
Tim Duncan
LeBron James

Most Valuable Player:
Stephen Curry
James Harden
LeBron James
Russell Westbrook

Stephen G. Hill, BET's President of Programming, Connie Orlando, BET's Senior Vice President of Music and Specials, and Don Mischer Productions will serve as Executive Producers for the "Players' Awards". Serving as Executive Producers from the National Basketball Players Association are Chris Paul, NBPA President, Roger Mason Jr., NBPA Deputy Executive Director, and Jordan Schlachter, NBPA Chief Marketing Officer along with Prospect Park.

To apply for media credentials for the "Players' Awards" please email: mediacredentials@bet.net

For more information about "The Players' Awards" visit BET.com/playersawards.

ABOUT BET NETWORKS

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom Inc. (VIA, VIAB), is the nation's leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience. The primary BET channel reaches more than 90 million households and can be seen in the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United KINGDOM and sub-Saharan Africa. BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions: BET.com, a leading Internet destination for Black entertainment, music, culture, and news; Centric, the first network dedicated to Black women; BET Digital Networks - BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company with festivals and live events spanning the globe; BET Mobile, which provides ringtones, games and video content for wireless devices; and BET International, which operates BET in the United KINGDOM and oversees the extension of BET network programming for global distribution.

ABOUT NBPA

The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is the union for current professional basketball players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Established in 1954, the NBPA mission is to ensure that the rights of NBA players are protected and that every conceivable measure is taken to assist players in maximizing their opportunities and achieving their goals, both on and off the court. For more information, go to www.nbpa.com.

ABOUT DON MISCHER PRODUCTIONS

Don Mischer Productions (DMP) has consistently sought out to produce programs that share the best of human experience, whether it be through the work of our most acclaimed artists, the celebration of our greatest monuments or the world's most watched events. Helmed by legendary producer and director Don Mischer, along with partners Charlie Haykel and Juliane Hare, DMP's credits range from We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, The Primetime Emmy Awards, and the Academy Awards; to SUPER BOWL Halftime shows (Prince, The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen), the Billboard Music Awards, and the Opening Ceremonies of both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

ABOUT PROSPECT PARK

Prospect Park is a multi-faceted entertainment company working in music, film and television, and sports. Along with successful film and television divisions which include breakout network hits "Salem", "Royal Pains" and "Wilfred," the company's music division boasts such clients as Ice Cube, Azealia Banks, Eden xo, and P.O.D. and the highly successful independent record label, Prospect Park Records.