Heat's Battier selected as Twyman-Stokes NBA Teammate of the Year

Shane Battier was announced Saturday as the winner of the league's Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year award, which recognizes selfless play, leadership, work as a role model to other players and commitment.

The NBA will make a $25,000 donation to The Battier Take Charge Foundation, which raises money to help provide children with educational and leadership opportunities.

Battier received 67 first-place votes and appeared on 209 ballots cast by NBA players in all, finishing as a runaway winner of the award. Charlotte's Al Jefferson was second and Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki was third in the balloting, in which players could not vote for a current teammate.

In order of finish behind Battier, Jefferson and Nowitzki, the other nominees on this year's teammate ballot were Chris Paul, Pau Gasol, Manu Ginobili, Channing Frye, Andre Iguodala, Jameer Nelson, Elton Brand, David West and Mike Dunleavy.