LaMelo Ball earned one of the NBA’s first Rookie of the Month awards for January, the league announced on Tuesday. Ball was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month; Sacramento’s Tyrese Haliburton earned Western Conference Rookie of the Month.
In January, Ball averaged 12.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 26.3 minutes per contest. Ball led rookies in assists, tied for first in rebounds and finished third in points. Only Isaac Okoro, Cole Anthony and Haliburton averaged more minutes per game in January.
Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double during January, doing so against the Hawks with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. In the first six games of the month, culminating in that triple-double, Ball averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
