J.R. Smith won the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award on Monday after turning a role he didn't want into one of the strengths of the New York Knicks' first division championship team in nearly two decades.

Smith received 484 points, including 72 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 writers and broadcasters. The Clippers' Jamal Crawford finished second with 352 points, getting 31 first-place votes.

Smith played for the CBA's Zhejiang Golden Bulls in the 2011-12 season.