Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant earned 99 of 100 first-place votes to take home the NBA Rookie of the Year award on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Morant, a Murray State product who was the No 2 overall pick in the 2019 Draft, averaged 17.8 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds in 67 games. He shot 47.7 per cent from the field and 33.5 per cent from beyond the arc.
Morant received 498 points in the voting, well ahead of second-place finisher Kendrick Nunn of the Miami Heat, who had 204 points. New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson finished third with 140 points and got the only other first-place vote.
During the regular season, Morant tallied 15 double-doubles and two triple-doubles. He did not take long to make his mark on the league, scoring a season-high 30 points on October 27 against the Brooklyn Nets.
In games played through March 11, Morant recorded a rookie-high 11 double-doubles and produced the only triple-double by a rookie when he finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists against the Washington Wizards on February 9. He had at least 20 points and 10 assists in seven games, including a 27-point, 14-assist performance against the Lakers on February 29.
Morant excelled late in games, ranking sixth in the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring average (7.3 points per game) in games played through March 11. Of the top six players in that category, Morant had the highest fourth-quarter field goal percentage (55.9).
Morant has credited his father, Tee, with instilling a strong work ethic in him. The elder Morant used to put his son through difficult drills in their backyard to prepare for action on the court.
"It's been tough," Morant told reporters after Memphis drafted him. "At a young age, jumping those tires wasn't fun. I used to be kind of mad. But honestly, it all paid off. My dad had the opportunity to play professionally and turned it down to stay and raise me."
Pau Gasol was the last player to win Rookie of the Year honours for the Grizzlies. Gasol won the award in the 2001-02 season.