ROSE IS THE ROY
04/22/2009

Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls is the recipient of the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy as the 2008-09 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year, the NBA announced today.

Rose received 111 first-place votes (574 points) from a panel of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Memphis' O.J. Mayo finished second with 246 points and New Jersey's Brook Lopez finished third with 127 points.

Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Selected with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft 2008, Rose led first-year players in assists (6.3 apg) and was second among rookies in scoring (16.8 ppg), to go along with 3.9 rebounds in 37.0 minutes.

Rose shot .475 from the field and .788 from the free throw line. He started 80 of 81 games (missed one game due to injury on March 24), and finished the season in the top three in several categories all-time among Bulls rookies, including total points (3rd, 1,361), scoring (3rd, 16.8 ppg) and assists (3rd, 6.3 apg).

A three-time Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month selection (Nov., Dec., March), Rose scored in double digits 71 times including 32 games of at least 20 points. Rose represented Chicago at All-Star Saturday Night in Phoenix, becoming the first rookie to win the Skills Challenge with a time of 35.3 seconds.

A participant in the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, Rose finished with four points and a team-high seven assists. Rose is the third Chicago rookie to win the award and the first since Elton Brand in 1999-00 (co-winner with Houston's Steve Francis).