Okafor Voted Top Rookie, Gordon Is Best 6th Man
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
After spending the final months of the season in a close battle for Rookie of the Year honors, former Connecticut teammates Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats and Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls each received an award from the NBA yesterday.
A source in the Bobcats organization told the Associated Press that Okafor has won the Rookie of the Year award, while Gordon became the first rookie in league history to win the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award. Okafor’s award will be announced today.
Okafor led all rookies in scoring (15.9 points per game) and rebounding (10.9 rpg) and was second in his class behind Atlanta’s Josh Smith in blocks (1.71). He also ranked second in the NBA with 3.8 offensive rebounds per game. He ended his season with 47 games in double figures in both points and rebounds.
Gordon averaged 15.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in just over 24 minutes this season. He came off the bench in 79 of 82 games and helped the Bulls make their first playoff appearance since 1998.
Boston guard Ricky Davis was second in the voting, followed by Denver guard Earl Boykins.
