Just 10 games into his rookie season, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists against Atlanta, becoming the youngest players in NBA history to record a triple-double.
It was his only triple-double of the season, but his all-around performance was not an anomaly.
Ball averaged 15.7 points, 6.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds – one of nine players and the only rookie to post at least 15-6-5.9 per game – in 51 games for the much-improved Hornets. Ball also shot 43.6% from the field and a respectable 35.2% on 3-pointers.
For this production, Ball was named 2020-21 Rookie of the Year on Wednesday, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports.