That’s Rookie Of the Year for you n00bs. Via NBA.com…
NEW YORK — Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers is the recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2010-11 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year, the NBA announced today. Griffin is the first unanimous Rookie of the Year selection since David Robinson in 1989-90, receiving 118 first-place votes (590 points) from an equal number of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
Washington’s John Wall finished second with 295 points and Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins finished third with 81 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
Griffin, who was selected first overall in the 2009 NBA Draft but missed the entire 2009-10 season due to injury (stress fracture, left knee), recorded a rookie-and team-leading 22.5 ppg (12th overall), 12.1 rpg (fourth overall) and 63 double-doubles (third overall). He was the only player in the NBA to average at least 20 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Griffin became the first rookie to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds since Elton Brand (20.1 ppg, 10.0 rpg) in 1999-2000; and he was only the fourth rookie to total at least 1,600 points, 900 rebounds and 250 assists, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969-70), Elgin Baylor (1958-59) and Sidney Wicks (1971-72).
A six-time T-Mobile Western Conference Rookie of the Month selection, Griffin became the first rookie to appear in an NBA All-Star Game since Yao Ming in 2003. Griffin also participated in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and won the Sprite Slam Dunk contest. On March 23, he recorded the first triple-double of his NBA career — 33 points, 17 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists in the Clippers’ double-overtime win over Washington, becoming the first rookie to record a triple-double of at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists since Jerry West did it on Feb. 26, 1961 (38 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists).
Building upon its already strong appeal to the nation’s youth and as an Official Partner of the NBA, T-Mobile is showcasing the NBA’s youngest players — the Rookies — through the T-Mobile Rookie Program. Highlights include rookie awards presentations such as the T-Mobile Rookies of the Month and T-Mobile Rookie of the Year, and the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, an All-Star competition between NBA rookies and second-year players. During NBA All-Star 2011, T-Mobile and the NBA hosted more than 3,500 students from the Los Angeles Unified School Districts and After School All-Stars of Los Angeles program to watch the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam from the best seats in the house at Staples Center on Friday, February 18.
The Eddie Gottlieb Trophy is named in honor of Eddie Gottlieb, one of the NBA’s founders who coached the Philadelphia Warriors to the NBA championship in 1946-47.
Below are the voting results for the 2010-11 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year Award and the all-time list of winners:
2010-11 T-MOBILE NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD VOTING RESULTS
Rookie, Team 1st 2nd 3rd Total Blake Griffin, L.A. Clippers 118 - - 590 John Wall, Washington - 91 22 295 DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento - 11 48 81 Landry Fields, New York - 12 26 62 Gary Neal, San Antonio - 3 10 19 Greg Monroe. Detroit - 1 12 15
We all knew this was coming, obviously; I just wanted to post the official announcement because Blake Griffin is my dude. Oh, and to point out the fact that it was a unanimous decision. Even when the winner is clear, some homer normally manages to f@ck that up. Take, for instance, the guy who voted for Tyson Chandler over Dwight Howard for DPOY. I also wanted to post it because it gives me an excuse to link you to the following video: all 214 of Blake’s dunks from his rookie season…
Congratulations on an incredible season, Blake (sometimes I like to pretend as if players actually view my website)! You posted the most entertaining rookie season that I’ve ever witnessed, that’s for damn sure. I can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for us next year!
