LeBron James won the NBA Rookie of the Year award on Tuesday, capping a remarkable season in which he revived the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 19-year-old guard more than lived up to unprecedented hype in jumping straight from high school to the pros, becoming the youngest player to receive the award.
James, last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, beat out Denver's Carmelo Anthony, his close friend. Anthony, also 19, played one season of college basketball, leading Syracuse to the NCAA championship.
PHOTO: AP
At a news conference at Gund Arena, James thanked Anthony.
"I really felt like it was going to be a close race," James said. "He had a phenomenal season also."
James received 508 points, including 78 of a possible 118 first-place votes, to become the first Cleveland rookie honored.
Anthony finished with 430 points -- with the other 40 first-place votes -- in balloting by sports writers and broadcasters. Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat was third with 117 points.
The Associated Press reported Saturday, citing a source, that James would win the award.
The Akron native averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists, joining Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only NBA rookies to average at least 20-5-5.
Anthony had similar numbers (21 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists) and led the Nuggets to the playoffs a year after they went 17-65.
The Cavaliers had the same record last season. With James, they went 35-47 and finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, one spot out of the playoffs.
James helped the Cavs' average home attendance jump from 11,497 to 18,288.
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