CHARLOTTE, US: Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball’s versatility as a passer, scorer and rebounder earned him NBA Rookie of the Year honors Wednesday despite missing 21 games with a fractured wrist.
Ball beat out finalists Anthony Edwards from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Tyrese Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings to win the award, which was determined by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league.
The 6-foot-7 Ball was selected third overall in 2020 after playing professional ball in Lithuania and Australia.
Ball led all rookies with averages of 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game and was third with 15.7 points and 5.9 rebounds.
He made an immediate impact with the Hornets, becoming the youngest player in the NBA history to have a triple-double with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in just his 10th career game on Jan. 9 against the Atlanta Hawks.
“A 19-year-old rookie does not look like this,” Hornets coach James Borrego said after the game. “This is rare what you’re seeing.”
Ball continued to shine after that.
He went on to claim the NBA Rookie of the Month honors three times before injuring his wrist on March 20. The Hornets initially thought he would miss the remainder of the year, but Ball returned to finish the season and help the Hornets earn a spot in the play-in tournament.
Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, was tops among rookies in scoring at 19.3 points per game including 23.8 points per game after the All-Star break.
Ball’s stellar court vision was on display early on with some highlight reel alley-oop passes to Miles Bridges, and it only took 20 games before he was inserted into the starting lineup for good.
From there, he established himself as a major piece that owner Michael Jordan can build around in Charlotte.
“I think Melo has adjusted to the NBA game better than any of us ever thought this early in his career,” Jordan told The Associated Press in March via email in March. “He has exceeded our expectations.”
During February, Ball averaged 20.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game in 13 games, joining LeBron James and Luka Doncic as the only teenagers to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in at least 10 games over a calendar month.
“Rookie of the year, and well deserved,” Hornets teammate Gordon Hayward tweeted. “Huge congrats @MELOD1P ! Can’t wait to get out on the court with you again. Just the beginning!”
Ball is third player in Charlotte history to win Rookie of the Year honors, joining Emeka Okafor and Larry Johnson.
Hornets’ LaMelo Ball selected 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year
https://arab.news/ybr78
Hornets’ LaMelo Ball selected 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year
- Despite missing 21 games with a fractured wrist, LaMelo Ball came out on top of other finalists in the voting
- Ball is third player in Charlotte history to win Rookie of the Year honors, joining Emeka Okafor and Larry Johnson
Nacho Elvira keeps cool to lead by 2 shots at Dubai Invitational
- Spaniard goes into final round with advantage over Dylan Frittelli, Shane Lowry, Marcus Armitage
DUBAI: Nacho Elvira kept calm in breezy conditions to earn a two-shot advantage heading into the final round of the 2026 Dubai Invitational.
The Spaniard shared the overnight second-round lead with Shane Lowry at five under, and he negotiated an early bogey with four birdies to card a steady 68 on Moving Day at Dubai Creek Resort.
Elvira is seeking his third DP World Tour title after successes at the 2021 Cazoo Open, supported by Gareth Bale, and the 2024 Soudal Open.
At eight under he leads by two from a stellar chasing pack at six under, with Dylan Frittelli sharing second place after a sparkling 66 alongside Lowry and Englishman Marcus Armitage.
Elvira said: “I’m very pleased. It’s been a tricky couple of days with the wind. I’m pretty happy with it.
“I’ve been here long enough to not be too nervous tomorrow, in a way. I’m going to try and enjoy, and learn from the experiences in the past and see what happens. I’m extremely happy.”
Elvira was soon the sole leader, despite opening with three pars when Lowry bogeyed the third to slip back in the pack at four under alongside Frenchman Antoine Rozner and Frittelli, who made fast starts.
Lowry dropped another shot at the sixth but when he birdied the next, there was a four-way tie at the top.
His Spanish playing partner bogeyed the seventh just moments earlier as he joined Lowry, Rozner and Frittelli at four under.
The leadership group increased to five when Matt Wallace rolled in his third birdie of the day at the 10th.
Just as Wallace’s putt found the hole, Rozner jumped ahead on his own at five under with a gain at the ninth.
Frittelli’s birdie at the 11th saw the South African move alongside Rozner at the top, only for Lowry and Elvira to follow suit at the same hole for both players to rejoin the lead.
Elvira started his back nine with another birdie to regain the outright lead at six under and then extended his advantage to two when rolling in from 8 feet at the 13th.
Frittelli and Lowry remained in the chasing pack at five under and were joined by Armitage — who responded to a bogey at the seventh with three birdies in four holes from the 10th — and Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy opened with a birdie before dropping a shot at the fourth on a steady front nine, but gains at the 10th, 13th and 16th took him into contention.
A magical recovery from Frittelli at the last saw him close with an unlikely birdie to set the clubhouse mark of six under, with Elvira having three holes to play.
The leading Spaniard regained his two-shot advantage with a lovely 17-footer for birdie at the penultimate hole before closing with a par.
Lowry mixed two birdies and two bogeys on his front nine, but had to wait until the 17th for his next gain before horseshoeing his birdie putt at the last.
Frittelli was bogey-free in his 66 thanks to a hat-trick of birdies from the third before further gains at the 11th and last.
Armitage rolled in a birdie effort from 21 feet at the 18th to climb alongside Frittelli at six under.
World No. 2 McIlroy parred his way home in his 68 to sit in solo fifth, while Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and South African Jacques Kruyswijk both carded flawless rounds of 66 with Spaniard David Puig for company at five under.
Geoff Wang was the 2026 Dubai Invitational Team Event Champion following a total of 17 under.
“It's incredible,” Wang said. “I’ve not spent a lot of time in Dubai, it’s only my second time, but to experience this place on this occasion and on this beautiful golf course, the tournament is exceedingly well run.”
