Georgia’s Lyle Thompson collects sixth straight NLL sportsmanship award
Published
The National Lacrosse League announced Tuesday that Georgia Swarm forward Lyle Thompson was selected as by NLL team executives and coaches as the 2024 NLL Sportsmanship Award winner, Thompson’s sixth consecutive honor in this category. The NLL Players Association membership voted Las Vegas Desert Dogs forward Zack Greer as its Teammate of the Year for the 2023-24 season.
Thompson completed another stellar season for the Swarm in 2023-24, notching 42 goals and 45 assists for 87 points, marking his sixth straight full season of 40 or more goals (excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, when he scored 27 in 12 games). Only three other players notched more than one Sportsmanship Award since the honor debuted in 2002, cementing Thompson’s status as one of the most well-respected and accomplished players in NLL history.
Greer, who completed his 14th year in the NLL, is a first-time winner of the Teammate of the Year Award, as selected through voting of the NLLPA body. He scored 21 goals and added 31 assists, surpassing the career 300-assist and 600-point plateaus earlier this season. A member of the Whitby (Ontario) Sports Hall of Fame, Greer won back-to-back league championships with Edmonton and Saskatchewan in 2015 and 2016, netting career bests of 44 and 42 goals, respectively, those seasons.
Below are the all-time winners of the NLL Sportsmanship Award:
2024 – Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
- 2023 – Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
- 2022 – Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
- 2020 – Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
- 2019 – Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
- 2018 – Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
- 2017 – Jordan Hall, Georgia Swarm
- 2016 – Ben McIntosh, Saskatchewan Rush
- 2015 – Kyle Buchanan, New England Black Wolves
- 2014 – Garrett Billings, Toronto Rock
- 2013 – Garrett Billings, Toronto Rock
- 2012 – Johnny Powless, Rochester Knighthawks
- 2011 – Jordan Hall, Rochester Knighthawks
- 2010 – Shawn Williams, Rochester Knighthawks
- 2009 – Dan Dawson, Boston Blazers
- 2008 – Dan Carey, Colorado Mammoth
- 2007 – Tracey Kelusky, Calgary Roughnecks
- 2006 – Sean Greenhalgh, Philadelphia Wings
- 2005 – Gary Gait, Colorado Mammoth
- 2004 – Gary Gait, Colorado Mammoth & Peter Lough, Arizona Sting
- 2003 – Chris Driscoll, New York Saints/Toronto Rock
- 2002 – Jim Veltman, Toronto Rock
Below are the all-time winners of the NLLPA Teammate of the Year Award:
- 2024 – Zack Greer, Las Vegas Desert Dogs
- 2023 – Dan Dawson, Toronto Rock
- 2022 – Jeremy Thompson, Panther City Lacrosse Club
- 2020 – Dan Dawson, Toronto Rock & Mike Poulin, Georgia Swarm
- 2019 – John Ranagan, Georgia Swarm
- 2018 – Craig England, Buffalo Bandits
- 2017 – Mike Poulin, Georgia Swarm
- 2016 – Mike Poulin, Calgary Roughnecks
- 2015 – Joel McCready, Vancouver Stealth
The NLL will continue to announce its award winners throughout the week, in advance of Friday’s Game 1 of the 2024 NLL Finals presented by AXIA Time between the Buffalo Bandits and the Albany FireWolves (7 p.m., TSN, TSN+, ESPN+) from MVP Arena in Albany.
2023-24 NLL Awards announcement schedule and summary:
Monday, May 13
- Executive of the Year – John Catalano, President and Chief Executive Officer, Halifax Thunderbirds
- Tom Borrelli Award (Media Person of the Year) – Adam Levi, Inside Lacrosse
Tuesday, May 14
- Sportsmanship Award – Lyle Thompson, Georgia Swarm
- Teammate of the Year (via NLLPA) – Zack Greer, Las Vegas Desert Dogs
Wednesday, May 15
- Les Bartley Award (Coach of the Year)
- General Manager of the Year
Thursday, May 16
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Transition Player of the Year
- Goaltender of the Year
Friday, May 17
- Most Valuable Player and the All-NLL First and Second Teams
- Rookie of the Year and the NLL All-Rookie Team
Finalists for each award, announced last week, as well as selection criteria can be found here.