THE AWARD

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John Arthur “Wink” Willox was a leading figure in the development of basketball officiating in British Columbia and across Canada. When he began officiating in the early 1940s, rulebooks were not readily available. Willox purchased 200 rulebooks from the United States and distributed them throughout British Columbia. For the next eight years, he used his annual holidays to conduct officiating clinics across the province.​​

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Willox officiated basketball for 20 years, taught the rules for 30 years and created British Columbia’s first rules examination for aspiring officials. He co-founded the Vancouver & District Basketball Referees Association and later founded the BC Basketball Officials Association, serving as an executive member. He also served on committees with the International Association of Approved Basketball Officials (IAABO) and the Canadian Association of Basketball Officials (CABO), including as an evaluator and assessor.

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Beyond his work in officiating, Willox helped establish the BC Sports Federation, later known as Sport BC, and published newsletters for basketball officials and coaches, including Whistle Blast and Full Court Press. In 1982, he received the Ted Earley Award, then Canada’s most prestigious honour for basketball officials. He was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame as a builder in 1985.

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The John A. (Wink) Willox Award was created in his honour to recognize individuals who have made noteworthy, long-term contributions to the advancement of basketball officiating at the provincial and national levels.

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AWARD CRITERIA​

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Each province may select a maximum of one candidate for the Willox Award in a given year. Recipients are evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Strong on-court performance by local standards;

• Significant length of service to the basketball community;

• Service to basketball organizations in various capacities; and

• Contributions to basketball in an administrative role.

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MMBRA RECIPIENTS

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