SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- To no one's surprise, but to the joy of the Mavericks and their fans nonetheless, Luka Doncic on Monday night received the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the NBA Rookie of the Year.
Doncic, 20, received the trophy, named after the former Philadelphia Warriors' head coach, during Monday night's NBA Awards show at the Barker Hangar.
Doncic joins Jason Kidd as the only Mavericks to win Rookie of the Year. Kidd shared the honor with Detroit's Grant Hill for the 1994-95 season.
Monday night's Rookie of the Year result, determined by media voters around the NBA, was widely expected despite a late-season surge by Atlanta point guard Trae Young, the player for whom Doncic was traded on draft night last June.