Hornets' Moussa Diabate wins NBA Hustle Award

Charlotte Hornets big man Moussa Diabate was named the winner of the 2025-26 NBA Hustle Award on Thursday.

A first-time winner, Diabate ranked in the top 11 in six of the nine hustle categories used to determine the award recipient, including first in offensive box-outs per minute (0.0537) and fourth in screen assists per minute (0.1122).

The Hustle Award honors a player "who makes effort plays that do not often appear in the traditional box score but help drive team success," according to a league press release.

The hustle categories also include deflections, loose balls recovered, charges drawn and contested shots.

The Hornets improved from a 9-20 start through Dec. 22 to go 35-18 the rest of the season. Diabate became a full-time starter on Dec. 23.

Diabate, 24, averaged career highs of 7.9 points on 63.1% shooting, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 steals and 26.0 minutes in 73 games (47 starts). His 20 double-doubles nearly tripled his previous career total.

The Los Angeles Clippers selected the Frenchman in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft. He signed with Charlotte in July 2024.

Diabate was followed in the voting by Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, Memphis Grizzlies guard Cedric Coward and New York Knicks guard Josh Hart.

Green won the award last season. Marcus Smart, then of the Boston Celtics, received the award in 2019, 2022 and 2023 as the only multiple winner since the award started in the 2016-17 season.

--Field Level Media