Clippers’ Blake Griffin to be named NBA rookie of the year
Clippers power forward Blake Griffin will be named NBA rookie of the year, following in the footsteps of current stars LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose.
The award will be announced Wednesday, according to a league official familiar with the voting who was not authorized to speak publicly.
Griffin is the fifth player in franchise history to win the rookie award. Terry Cummings won it in the 1982-83 season with the San Diego Clippers, and Adrian Dantley, Ernie DiGregorio and Bob McAdoo won it as Buffalo Braves before the franchise moved to California.
In a news release late Tuesday afternoon, the Clippers said there was a formal announcement scheduled Wednesday afternoon at their practice facility, describing it as a “Major NBA Awards/Los Angeles Clippers Announcement.”
Griffin averaged 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds a game this season and was named to the All-Star team. He also won the dunk contest on All-Star weekend.
Griffin was so dominant this season that there was probably more suspense about whether he would be able to jump over a car in the dunk contest than about the rookie-of-the-year award.
Griffin was said to be a unanimous selection. Brandon Roy of Portland nearly reached that status, receiving 127 of 128 votes in 2007, and New Orleans’ Chris Paul got all but one of 125 first-place votes in 2006.
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