As expected, Charlotte Hornets point guard and rookie sensation Lamelo Ball has won the prestigious NBA rookie of the Year award.
The announcement was made by NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, with the league expected to make it official this evening.
Despite missing 21 games this season due to a broken bone in his wrist, Ball averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.
Lamelo becomes Charlotte’s 3rd NBA rookie of the year. The other two were Larry Johnson (1992) and Emeka Okafor (2005).
During the regular season, Ball led all rookies in steals and assists. He was also 2nd in scoring for rookies. In addition to an incredible season for Lamelo Ball, he became the youngest rookie in NBA history to record a triple double. Not only is Lamelo Ball the NBA’s rookie of the year, but he’s also the Hornets most impactful player.
What makes this achievement even greater is that Lamelo started the season with limited playing time, coming off the bench. Give Lamelo a full post-pandemic off-season with the ability to tack on 10-15 pounds of muscle and time to develop his midrange off the dribble, and you will for sure see bigger accomplishments for the Hornets as a whole this upcoming season.
Stay tuned shortly for an official announcement by the NBA commissioner Adam Silver.