Sean Elliott, a former NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs who now works with the team as a broadcaster, will be the keynote speaker as the best players, coaches and teams from the year in Rio Grande Valley athletics are honored at the 2018 All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet on June 10 at Mario’s Banquet & Conference Center in Mission.
A small forward, Elliott played for the Spurs from 1989-93 and 1994-2001, earning All-Star recognition in 1993 and 1996 and helping San Antonio to an NBA title in 1999. He also had a standout career at the University of Arizona, winning the John R. Wooden and AP Player of the Year awards as a senior in 1989 after leading the team to the 1988 Final Four. He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, and both Arizona and the Spurs have retired his No. 32 jersey.
After finishing his playing career, Elliott began working as a basketball analyst for NBC, ABC and ESPN. He moved to Fox in 2013, calling college basketball. This season, Elliott was an analyst for Spurs games on Fox Sports Southwest.
The banquet, hosted by RGVSports.com and AIM Media Texas in conjunction with the RGV Sports Hall of Fame, will see 33 awards presented to athletes, coaches and teams across all 12 UIL sports. The prestigious Tom Landry Award of Excellence will honor a student-athlete for outstanding achievements on and off the field.
The Monitor, Valley Morning Star, The Brownsville Herald, Mid-Valley Town Crier and RGV Sports Hall of Fame will vote to determine the winners in the sports categories. While The Monitor, the Star and the Herald have previously named their All-Area teams in certain sports, the All-Valley Sports Awards Banquet will recognize the very best across all three coverage areas.
The banquet, which will run approximately 6 to 8 p.m., returns to Mario’s for a second consecutive year. The venue has a seating capacity of more than 500 people. Tickets will be on sale soon at a cost of $40 per person. For sponsorship opportunities, call Marcia Kitten at 956-683-4463 or email [email protected].
