NBA Most Valuable Player Award
During this tenure, Hickman caused a controversy when he cast his first place vote for the 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player Award for Allen Iverson. Hickman was the sole voter who did not cast his first place vote that year for Shaquille O'Neal, thus preventing O'Neal from claiming the honor of being the first unanimous MVP of NBA in the history of the award. Iverson finished seventh in the voting.