Kyrie Irving named NBA Rookie of the Year

NEW YORK - Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving, the top overall selection in last year’s NBA draft, was named the league’s Rookie of the Year on Tuesday.

Irving, who lived up to his promise as he led all first-year players in scoring, was a near-unanimous choice.

He received 117 first-place votes and 592 points from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout North America.

Minnesota’s Spanish import Ricky Rubio, whose season was cut short by injury, was second in the balloting with 170 points despite not receiving a first-place vote. Rubio was averaging 10.6 points, 8.2 assists and 4.2 rebounds a game for the Timberwolves when he suffered a torn left knee ligament in March.

Kenneth Faried of Denver was next with 129 points, followed by San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard and Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks.

Faried, Leonard and Shumpert received one first-place vote apiece. Irving averaged 18.5 points per game and was second in assists among rookies with 5.4 per game.

He was first among rookies in field goal shooting at 46.9 percent and free throw shooting at 87.2 percent. Irving joins Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Allen Iverson and LeBron James as the only top overall picks to average at least 18.0 points and 5.0 assists. AFP