Lillard wins Rookie of Year award
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard on Wednesday was named NBA Rookie of the Year. Lillard received all 121 first-place votes, totaling 605 points as only the fourth unanimous selection. Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers was the last unanimous selection.
The New Orleans Hornets' Anthony Davis finished second with 306 points and the Washington Wizards' Bradley Beal finished third with 94 points.
"Coming in, nobody wanted to give me this award," Lillard told the Deseret News. "I had to prove it. ... I take a lot of pride in this."
Among first-year players, Lillard ranked first in scoring (19.0 ppg), assists (6.5 apg) and minutes (38.6 mpg).
"Winning this award is letting me know that everything I did up to this point paid off," Lillard said. "It's not about collecting hardware; it just reminds me that everything I did paid off."
Lillard was the sixth overall selection out of Weber State in the 2012. He set an NBA rookie record by making 185 3-point field goals, surpassing the 166 triples made by Golden State's Stephen Curry during his 2009-10 rookie campaign.'
He also played 3,167 minutes this season -- more than any other player in the league.
The Trail Blazers held a ceremony at the Rose Garden in Portland where Lillard accepted the award.
"I think the best thing for me is to take it all in and then, tomorrow, I've got to let it go. I've got my whole career in front of me."
