LaMelo Ball Wins 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year Award

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball was named as the NBA’s 2020-21 Rookie of the Year according to ESPN Senior Insider Adrian Wojnarowski. Ball, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, missed 21 games, but helped guide his team to a 33-39 record and a Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament appearance.

On the year, Ball averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.6 steals, all either first or second among rookies. He shot 43.6 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from deep, and 75.8 percent from the charity stripe, statistics that put him in an exclusive club among rookies. Those numbers saw considerable rises when Ball was promoted as a starter on Feb. 1. The Hornets guard also became the youngest player to record a triple-double on Jan. 9.

The official voting has not yet been released by the NBA’s Public Relations. In May, though, the league confirmed that the finalists were Ball, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Tyrese Haliburton of the Sacramento Kings.