Who Won the NBA Rookie of the Year?
The NBA Rookie of the Year is an annual award given to the league’s top first-year player. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. This year, the award went to Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Introduction
The National Basketball Association (NBA) Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. The Award was established in 1952 by the NBA, and it is given to the best performing rookie throughout the regular season. Voting is conducted by a selected panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, and each individual provides a vote for first, second, and third place selections. These votes are tabulated, and the player who receives the most votes is awarded the Rookie of the Year title for that season.[1] In spite of its name, rookies do not necessarily need to be players who have never played professional basketball before; second-year NBA players are also eligible as long as they were not on an active NBA roster during their first year of eligibility.
Since its inception, the award has been given to 30 different players. Ben Simmons, born in Melbourne to an African-American father and Australian mother,[2] became just the second player born outside North America to win Rookie of the Year when he was named to that honor for 2017–18 after he averaged 15.8 points per game (ppg), 8.2 assists per game (apg), 8.1 rebounds per game (rpg), 1.7 steals per game (spg), and 0.9 blocks per game (bpg).[3][4][5] He joined Pau Gasol as only international-born winners from outside North America.[6] Additionally, since 1988–89 when Tim Duncan won both awards – every Rookie of the Year has been a member of that year’s All-Rookie Team.[7]
Candidates
Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Kendrick Nunn were the top three candidates for the NBA Rookie of the Year. All had great seasons, but ultimately, Ja Morant won the award.
Winner
The 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year is Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks.
Conclusion
The 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year was forward Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard averaged 11.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game during his rookie season. He was drafted by the Spurs with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
