DALLAS – The NBA announced today that Mavericks guard/forward Luka Dončić was unanimously selected to the 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team after receiving first-place votes on all 100 ballots from a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. He becomes the sixth player in franchise history to earn All-Rookie First Team honors and the first since Jason Kidd in 1994-95.
Dončić (6-7, 218) averaged a team-high 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, a team-best 6.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 32.2 minutes per game in 72 games (all starts) for Dallas this past season. He joined Oscar Robertson as the only rookies in NBA history to average at least 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game.
Among all rookies in 2018-19, Dončić ranked first in scoring (21.2 ppg), second in rebounding (7.8 rpg), second in assists (6.0 apg), fifth in steals (1.1 spg) and first in minutes (32.2 mpg).
The former EuroLeague MVP knocked down 168 3-pointers in 2018-19, marking the third-most triples by a rookie in league history. Donovan Mitchell (187 in 2017-18) and Damian Lillard (185 in 2012-13) are the only players to hit more treys in their first NBA season. Dončić also set Dallas rookie records for free throws made (346) and attempted (485).
The 6-7 guard/forward finished the season with eight triple-doubles, marking the third-most by a rookie in NBA history. Robertson (26 in 1960-61) and Ben Simmons (12 in 2017-18) are the only rookies to produce more. Dončić also broke Magic Johnson’s record (7) for the most triple-doubles by a player before his 21st birthday (Dončić doesn’t turn 21 until Feb. 28, 2020).
Dončić swept the Kia NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month Award, winning it all five times it was given out (for October/November, December, January, February and March/April). He became the only Maverick to win the Rookie of the Month Award four-plus times in a season and the first player from either conference to sweep the award since Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns in 2015-16.
The 20-year-old Slovenian finished as one of only four NBA players (and the only rookie) to average at least 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game in 2018-19. All-Stars LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Nikola Jokić were the others.
Dončić joins Jay Vincent (1981-82), Sam Perkins (1984-85), Roy Tarpley (1986-87), Jamal Mashburn (1993-94) and Kidd (1994-95) as the only players in Mavericks history to garner NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.
Overall, it marks the 10th time in team history that a Dallas player has been named to an All-Rookie Team, including the third year in a row (Yogi Ferrell and Dennis Smith Jr. earned All-Rookie Second Team honors in 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively, while Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels were both named to the All-Rookie Second Team in 2003-04).
Joining Dončić on this year’s NBA All-Rookie First Team are Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (another unanimous selection), Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (195 points; 95 First Team votes), Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (159 points; 60 First Team votes) and Sacramento Kings forward Marvin Bagley III (156 points; 56 First Team votes).
This marks the first time since the 1984-85 season that the top five picks in the previous NBA Draft have all been selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team (there was no All-Rookie Second Team that season). Thirty-four years ago, the NBA All-Rookie Team honorees were Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 1 pick in 1984), Sam Bowie (No. 2), Michael Jordan (No. 3), Sam Perkins (No. 4) and Charles Barkley (No. 5).
The 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of L.A. Clippers guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (138 points), Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton (132), Clippers guard Landry Shamet (85), New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (77) and Hawks guard Kevin Huerter (45).
The voting panel selected five players for the First Team and five players for the Second Team at any position. Players received two points for a First Team vote and one point for a Second Team vote.
Dončić was originally selected by Atlanta with the third overall pick in 2018 NBA Draft, before having his draft rights traded to Dallas in exchange for the draft rights to Young, the fifth overall selection, and a protected 2019 first-round pick.
Dončić, Young and Ayton are the three finalists for the 2018-19 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year award. The winner will be revealed at the 2019 NBA Awards presented by Kia on Monday, June 24 at 8 p.m. CT on TNT. The third annual NBA Awards will take place at Barker Hangar in Los Angeles.
MAVERICKS NAMED TO ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Luka Dončić – 2018-19 (First Team)
Dennis Smith Jr. – 2017-18 (Second Team)
Yogi Ferrell – 2016-17 (Second Team)
Marquis Daniels – 2003-04 (Second Team)
Josh Howard – 2003-04 (Second Team)
Jason Kidd – 1994-95 (First Team)
Jamal Mashburn – 1993-94 (First Team)
Roy Tarpley – 1986-87 (First Team)
Sam Perkins – 1984-85 (First Team)
Jay Vincent – 1981-82 (First Team)
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