Ben Simmons is the NBA's rookie of the year.
The league announced Monday that the 76ers point guard was the award winner during the NBA Awards Show in Santa Monica, Calif. Utah Jazz shooting guard Donovan Mitchell was the runner up. Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum was the other finalist.
The votes for the regular-season awards were submitted by the media in April.
Simmons becomes the third Sixer to win the award. Michael Carter-Williams garnered the honor for the 2013-14 season, while Hall of Famer Allen Iverson was the 1996-97 rookie of the year.
Simmons recorded 12 triple-doubles in the regular season, the second most by a rookie in NBA history. He also averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. Simmons garnered Eastern Conference rookie-of-the-month honors for October/November, January, February, and March/April.
The Australian had posted at least 10 points, five rebounds and five assists in 58 games this season. That's third behind Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James.
Last month, Simmons and Mitchell both received perfect scores of 200 by getting 100 first-place votes in all-rookie first-team voting. Tatum and forwards Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls joined them on the first team.
Simmons becomes the 15th player in Sixers history to earn first-team all-rookie honors. He's also the sixth Sixer in five years to become a first-teamer, joining Joel Embiid (2016-17), Dario Saric (2016-17), Jahlil Okafor (2015-16), Nerlens Noel (2014-15), and Michael Carter-Williams (2013-14).
