Hornets guard LaMelo Ball named 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball on Wednesday was named the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year, receiving 84 out of a possible 99 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, the league announced.

The news was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 51 games to lead the Hornets to the play-in tournament. He finished second in scoring average while he led all rookies in assists and steals during the regular season.

The third overall pick was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month three times this season en route to becoming just the third player in franchise history to win Rookie of the Year, joining Larry Johnson (1991-92) and Emeka Okafor (2004-05).

Ball was named one of three finalists for the award on May 20, along with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton. Ball was viewed as the front-runner for the award after a strong first half of the season.

Of course, Ball missed 21 games with a wrist injury, but his time away from the court didn’t appear to have an impact on the final voting results. He had emerged as the top rookie prior to his injury, and was able to hold off Edwards, who had a strong second-half run with Minnesota.

On the season, Ball finished with seven double-doubles, the second-most among all rookies, while registering the only triple-double by a first-year player. He became the youngest player in NBA history to accomplish the feat, eclipsing the previous record set by Markelle Fultz.

The rookie season by Ball helped bring the Hornets to the forefront of the NBA given his flashy play and overall skillset. He exceeded expectations and impressed his teammates, coaching staff and ownership with his dedication and hard work on the court.

While the season certainly didn’t end the way the Hornets wanted, the organization appears to have a bright future ahead thanks in large part to the addition of Ball.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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