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Mavs' Doncic beats out Trae Young for Rookie of the Year

Kevin Winter / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty

Dallas Mavericks point forward Luka Doncic was named Rookie of the Year for the 2018-19 season at the NBA Awards on Monday night.

The 20-year-old Slovenian dazzled during his debut campaign, showcasing mature decision-making and a flair for dramatics as the Mavericks' new offensive linchpin. Over 72 appearances, Doncic averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, six assists, and 1.1 blocks per game.

Doncic beat out Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young for the award, further cementing the bond between the two dynamic playmakers. One year ago the Hawks traded the No. 3 pick (Doncic), for the Mavericks' No. 5 pick (Young), plus an additional 2019 first-round pick which Atlanta used to select Duke prospect Cam Reddish at No. 10 last week.

The only other time a Maverick has been named Rookie of the Year was when Jason Kidd shared the honor with Detroit Pistons wing - and fellow future Hall of Famer - Grant Hill after the 1994-95 season.

Doncic also becomes just the fourth player born outside the United States to capture the award, a list that includes three of the past five honorees:

Season Player Country Team
2001-02 Pau Gasol Spain Grizzlies
2014-15 Andrew Wiggins Canada Timberwolves
2017-18 Ben Simmons Australia 76ers
2018-19 Luka Doncic Slovenia Mavericks

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