Stephon Citadel made no secret about it: He needed to be rookie of the yr.
And he acquired it finished — by a large margin.
The San Antonio Spurs now have back-to-back winners of the award, with Victor Wembanyama final yr and Citadel this season. Citadel was the fifth rookie in Spurs historical past to attain greater than 1,000 factors.
It was one-sided within the voting. Citadel acquired 92 first-place votes, simply topping runner-up Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks and third-place finisher Jaylen Wells of the Memphis Grizzlies. Risacher acquired 5 first-place votes, Wells acquired the opposite three.
“Coming in with all the arrogance that I had in myself as a participant, that was positively a objective of mine from Day 1,” Citadel stated on TNT, which broadcast the disclosing of the outcomes. “I’m simply comfortable I used to be in a position to execute it.”
Citadel’s win marked the second time in additional than a half-century that one franchise went back-to-back with the top-rookie honor. Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins (now of Miami) and Karl-Anthony Cities (now of New York) have been voted rookies of the yr in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Wembanyama, on social media, paid tribute to Citadel’s accomplishment. “Hustle, coronary heart & simply pure expertise … all yr lengthy, you confirmed why you deserved this title !! So pleased with you,” Wembanyama posted on X shortly after the outcomes have been revealed.
The final occasion of a staff going back-to-back earlier than that: 1973 and 1974, when Bob McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio pulled it off for the Buffalo Braves.
“I get so excited watching him play,” stated Chris Paul, Citadel’s backcourt mate this season in San Antonio. “The very first thing that I need to see in a teammate or anyone is how aggressive they’re. That’ll take you additional than expertise any day. And I noticed instantly was that he was aggressive. I used to be like, ‘OK, cool. That is going to be straightforward.’”
Citadel led all rookies this season in factors (1,190) and steals (74). Risacher completed sturdy, successful Jap Convention rookie of the month for each February and March. Wells led all rookies in video games began (74) and 3-pointers made (138, matching the overall posted by Washington’s Bub Carrington).
Risacher — who hails from France, like Wembanyama — was trying to give the NBA the primary occasion of worldwide gamers successful the award in consecutive years since Australia’s Ben Simmons and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic in 2018 and 2019. Wells was bidding to be Memphis’ first rookie of the yr since Ja Morant in 2020.
The rookie of the yr award was voted on by a world panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cowl the league and solid ballots shortly after the top of the common season.
Washington’s Alex Sarr was fourth within the voting, adopted by Memphis’ Zach Edey in fifth and Miami’s Kel’el Ware in sixth. Philadelphia’s Jared McCain — who was off to a terrific begin earlier than getting harm — and Chicago’s Matas Buzelis completed tied for seventh within the voting.
The opposite awards that have been a part of that voting course of and have already had their outcomes unveiled: Cleveland’s Evan Mobley successful defensive participant of the yr, New York’s Jalen Brunson successful clutch participant of the yr, and Boston’s Payton Pritchard successful sixth man of the yr.
On Wednesday, probably the most improved participant — Cade Cunningham of Detroit, Dyson Daniels of Atlanta, or Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers — can be introduced, additionally at 7 p.m. EDT on TNT.
Different awards introduced by the league for the reason that finish of the common season: Golden State’s Stephen Curry the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the yr award and Warriors teammate Draymond Inexperienced received the hustle award.