Most people who grew up playing sports know what the Most Improved Player award is. Coaches in lower divisions of the game give out this award almost as consolation prize. Usually giving it to the worst player on the team, coaches made the award seem less valuable then it intended to be.

Despite its true meaning, going to the person who improved the most, coaches and fans hold little to no value to that award.

The hard work and dedication you put into the game is what this award symbolizes. It considers the work you have done to become a better player throughout the season. The meaning of the Most Improved Player award makes it one of the highest achievements a player can get.

By achieving the NBA 2015–16 Most Improved Player of the Year, CJ McCollum puts a new meaning to this award.

McCollum was drafted in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1st Round with the 10th overall pick

Only playing in 38 games, with zero starts his rookie year, the 2013–14 season did not seem very promising for a 10th overall draft pick. McCollum averaged 5.3 points, .7 assists, and barely even one rebound per game. Yes, he did have limited minutes being a rookie, but despite that fact, those numbers were not too exciting.

McCollum did what he needed to do, becoming one of the leagues most impactful sidekick. Both his offensive and defensive stats jumped higher than all expectations in just 2 years. By the 2015–16 season, McCollum boosted his stats to almost All-Star numbers. 20.8 pts, 4.5 assists, and a little over three rebounds led McCollum to be awarded the 2015–16 Most Improved Player of the Year.

It does not stop there for McCollum. At the beginning of his career he shot around 37% behind the arc. In two seasons he boosted that percentage by five percent, shooting around 42%.

McCollum is a clear example that if you put in the work the achievements come later. His Head coach, Terry Stotts, explained that even though McCollum is succeeding in many aspects of the game; “there is one area he said he’d like to continue to evolve in next season: Leadership.”