Rookie of the Year

Emeka Okafor; the center for the Charlotte Bobcats has received the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2004-05 “Got Milk? Rookie of the Year”. Okafor who is no stranger to receiving awards was the Most Outstanding Player in last year’s NCAA tournament and was drafted second overall in the 2004 NBA draft.

Okafor received a total of 514 points, including 77 first-place votes out of a possible 126, from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote received. Chicago’s Ben Gordon finished a close second with 443 points, while Orlando’s Dwight Howard finished third with 161 points.

Okafor, the second overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, led all rookies in scoring (15.1 ppg), rebounds (10.9 rpg) and minutes played (35.6 mpg), and ranked second in blocks (1.71 bpg). Okafor ranked fourth in the league in rebounding and third in offensive rebounding (3.8 rpg) while leading the Bobcats in scoring, rebounding, blocks and minutes this season.

Okafor, a three-time recipient of the got milk? Rookie of the Month award (November, December and April), ranked fourth in the NBA and first among rookies with 47 double-doubles (points-rebounds) and was only one of eight players in the league to average a double-double. He posted 19 consecutive double-doubles from November 21 to January 1, the longest streak by any NBA player this season. The last rookie to have more consecutive double. #