The Sports Informant

The whispering that’s been going on all week can stop. It’s official: Sacramento Kings’ point guard Tyreke Evans is the NBA’s Rookie of the Year.

The Kings announced today via a press conference just after noon including Evans that he was the league’s selection. He is now officially the recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2009-10 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year, the NBA announced today.

Tyreke Evans was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year today. (Photo courtesy Greg Ashman)

Evans received 67 first-place votes (491 points) from a panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Golden State’s Stephen Curry finished second with 391 points and Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings finished third with 204 points.

Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Evans received 67 first-place votes, 50 second-place votes and six third-place votes to earn a top finish with 491 points. Curry’s 391 came from 43 first, 50 second and 26 third-place votes, while Jennings’ 204 points were from 12 first, 22 second and 78 third-place votes.

Darren Collison of New Orleans was the only other recipient of a first-place vote, garnering one first-place vote, one second and nine third place votes. Jonny Flynn of Minnesota received two third place votes, as did Taj Gibson of Chicago.

Selected with the fourth overall pick in the NBA Draft 2009, Evans averaged a rookie-and team-leading 20.1 points, as well as a team-high 5.8 assists (2nd among rookies) and 5.3 rebounds. Evans joined Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in their rookie seasons. Among rookies, Evans also was first in minutes (37.2 mpg) and second in steals (1.51 spg), while leading in free throws made (348) and attempted (465).

A two-time T-Mobile Western Conference Rookie of the Month selection (October-November and December), Evans scored 20 or more points in 41 games this season, tops among rookies and the most 20-point games by a rookie in the Sacramento era. The 6-foot-6-inch guard had a seven-game streak (Nov. 7-23) of scoring 20 or more points, tying him with Lionel Simmons for the most consecutive 20-point games by a rookie in the Sacramento era. Evans was named the MVP of the 2010 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Feb. 12, at NBA All-Star in Dallas, recording 26 points, six rebounds, five assists, and five steals in leading the Rookies to a 140-128 win. On March 10 vs. Toronto, Evans became the first Sacramento-era rookie to record a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

The Eddie Gottlieb Trophy is named in honor of Eddie Gottlieb, one of the NBA’s founders who coached the Philadelphia Warriors to the NBA championship in 1946-47.

ALL-TIME T-MOBILE NBA ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

1952-53 – Don Meineke, Fort Wayne
1953-54 – Ray Felix, Baltimore
1954-55 – Bob Pettit, Milwaukee
1955-56 – Maurice Stokes, Rochester
1956-57 – Tom Heinsohn, Boston
1957-58 – Woody Sauldsberry, Philadelphia
1958-59 – Elgin Baylor, Minneapolis
1959-60 – Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1960-61 – Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1961-62 – Walt Bellamy, Chicago
1962-63 – Terry Dischinger, Chicago
1963-64 – Jerry Lucas, Cincinnati
1964-65 – Willis Reed, New York
1965-66 – Rick Barry, San Francisco
1966-67 – Dave Bing, Detroit
1967-68 – Earl Monroe, Baltimore
1968-69 – Wes Unseld, Baltimore
1969-70 – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1970-71 – Dave Cowens, Boston (tie), Geoff Petrie, Portland (tie)
1971-72 – Sidney Wicks, Portland
1972-73 – Bob McAdoo, Buffalo
1973-74 – Ernie DiGregorio, Buffalo
1974-75 – Keith Wilkes, Golden State
1975-76 – Alvan Adams, Phoenix
1976-77 – Adrian Dantley, Buffalo
1977-78 – Walter Davis, Phoenix
1978-79 – Phil Ford, Kansas City
1979-80 – Larry Bird, Boston
1980-81 – Darrell Griffith, Utah
1981-82 – Buck Williams, New Jersey
1982-83 – Terry Cummings, San Diego
1983-84 – Ralph Sampson, Houston
1984-85 – Michael Jordan, Chicago
1985-86 – Patrick Ewing, New York
1986-87 – Chuck Person, Indiana
1987-88 – Mark Jackson, New York
1988-89 – Mitch Richmond, Golden State
1989-90 – David Robinson, San Antonio
1990-91 – Derrick Coleman, New Jersey
1991-92 – Larry Johnson, Charlotte
1992-93 – Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando
1993-94 – Chris Webber, Golden State
1994-95 – Grant Hill, Detroit (tie), Jason Kidd, Dallas (tie)
1995-96 – Damon Stoudamire, Toronto
1996-97 – Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
1997-98 – Tim Duncan, San Antonio
1998-99 – Vince Carter, Toronto
1999-00 – Elton Brand, Chicago (tie), Steve Francis, Houston (tie)
2000-01 – Mike Miller, Orlando
2001-02 – Pau Gasol, Memphis
2002-03 – Amar’e Stoudemire, Phoenix
2003-04 – LeBron James, Cleveland
2004-05 – Emeka Okafor, Charlotte
2005-06 – Chris Paul, New Orleans/Okla. City
2006-07 – Brandon Roy, Portland
2007-08 – Kevin Durant, Seattle
2008-09 -Derrick Rose, Chicago
2009-10 –Tyreke Evans, Sacramento