Basketball Bulls' Rose named NBA's top rookie

[GotGibson?]

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose has been named the NBA's Rookie of the Year, according to published reports.

Two people familiar with the award confirmed to The Associated Press that Rose was the winner. Both requested anonymity as the announcement was to be made later Wednesday.

The Chicago Tribune first reported Rose had earned the honor.

The team is holding a news conference at 3 p.m. ET, at which it's expected the point guard, a Chicago native, will officially receive the award.

Rose, the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA draft, averaged 16.8 points per game, second to the Memphis Grizzlies' O.J. Mayo among rookies. Rose led all rookies in assists with 6.3 per game and was second in minutes played with 37 per game.

Rose joins Michael Jordan and Elton Brand among Bulls named rookie of the year. Brand shared the 1999-2000 award with Steve Francis; Jordan was rookie of the year in 1984-85.

Rose is the fourth player since 1990 to be named the league's top rookie and lead his team to the playoffs. The others are Tim Duncan in 1997-98 with the San Antonio Spurs, Chris Webber in 1993-94 with the Golden State Warriors and David Robinson in 1989-90 with the Spurs.

Rose had 36 points and 11 assists in his playoff debut, as the Bulls stunned the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series on Saturday. He followed that up with a 10-point, 7-assist effort in the Bulls' Game 2 loss. Game 3 is Thursday night in Chicago.

 

[ac-n-mike]

EASY choice..only major rookie whos team is in the playoffs...

and he had a HUGE part in it

 

[HiEnd]

NORTHBROOK, Ill. -- Derrick Rose, who led his hometown Chicago Bulls to the playoffs and restored hope to a franchise in disarray, was the runaway pick as the NBA's Rookie of the Year.

Rose became the third Bulls player to win the award, joining Michael Jordan and Elton Brand. Rose received 111 first-place votes and 574 points from a national panel of sports writers and broadcasters; runner-up O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies received five first-place votes and 127 points.

Rose's selection was hardly a surprise, after the No. 1 overall draft pick led all rookies with 6.3 assists per game and was second in scoring average at 16.8, and established himself as the franchise's first true cornerstone since Jordan.

"I think there are very few people in the NBA who could do what he did this year," teammate Joakim Noah said. "You tell me another No. 1 pick who got to the playoffs in their hometown, especially in a big city with so many distractions and so many things going on. I mean, he's all about one thing and that's winning basketball games, and that's what I respect about him."

The only other players who received first-place votes were Brook Lopez of the New Jersey Nets and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Eric Gordon of the Los Angeles Clippers rounded out the top five.