Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball has reportedly been named Rookie of the Year for the 2020/21 NBA season, marking the first time a Hornets player has won the award since the 2004/05 season.
Despite spending a lot of time sidelined with an injury, Ball managed to beat Sacramento Kings rookie Tyrese Haliburton and Minnesota Timberwolves young star Anthony Edwards to the accolade, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Hornets selected Ball at No.3 in the 2020 NBA Draft and he gradually found his way into the starting lineup, going on to become one of the most exciting players to watch during the season.
The guard became the youngest player to register a triple-double when he scored 22 points, claimed 12 rebounds and delivered 11 assists in a 113-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks on January 9. He averaged 19.5 points per game on 42.6 percent three-point shooting along with 6.2 assists and 5.8 rebounds a game in 21 games as a starter before suffering a wrist injury on March 20.
He returned on May 20 and averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per contest to end the regular season.
