Seattle's Durant named NBA Rookie of the Year
Los Angeles (dpa) - The Seattle SuperSonics were less than super this season, however the "Emerald City" had one gem that shone brightly - Kevin Durant.
Durant, who led all first-year players in scoring and assists, was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, the league announced on Thursday.
Durant received 545 points from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league regularly. Atlanta Hawks Al Horford finished second with 390 points, while Argentine Luis Scola of the Houston Rockets placed third with 146 points.
Drafted with the second overall pick behind Portland's Greg Oden in the 2007 NBA Draft following his freshman year at Texas, Durant averaged 20.3 points - 7.6 points higher than any other rookie - to go along with 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 80 games as a starter.
Though the willowy 6-foot-10 Durant led Seattle in scoring 47 times, including a career-best 42 points against the Golden State Warriors in the regular-season finale on April 16, he wasn't able to carry his success to the Sonics, who finished with a dismal 20-62 record - the second-worst mark in franchise history.
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