Ja Morant named NBA Rookie of the Year, comfortably pips Zion Williamson, Kendrick Nunn

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has stormed his way to win the NBA Rookie of the year ahead of the likes of  Miami Heat's Kendrick Nunn and New Orleans Pelicans' Zion Williamson. The 21-year-old has become the face of the Grizzlies team after being picked up as the second overall pick during the 2019 NBA Draft. Memphis were touted to be as one of the worst teams in the NBA this season, but Ja Morant' heroics propelled them to NBA Bubble, where a loss to Portland Trail Blazers ended their playoff hopes.  

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Ja Morant stats: Grizzlies star wins NBA Rookie of the year, bags 99/100 votes

According to The Athletic's Fred Katz, Ja Morant was almost the unanimous pick for the NBA Rookie of the year award, having won 99 of the 100 possible votes to cruise to a comfortable victory on Thursday. While Zion Williamson received the other first-place vote, it was Kendrick Nunn who comfortably finished second, with 204 points. The Ja Morant stats paint an impressive picture this season, with the 21-year-old averaging 17.8 points this season, with 7.3 assists per game.

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He established himself as a go-to option for the Grizzlies this season, who traded away franchise icons Marc Gasol and Mike Conley before the 2019/20 season. Ja Morant became the second Memphis Grizzlies player to win the NBA Rookie of the Year, emulating Pau Gasol, who had won the coveted award in 2002. Gasol was incidentally the first overseas player to win the trophy, with Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ben Simmons and Luka Doncic joining him in recent seasons. 

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Ja Morant stats: Grizzlies star celebrates NBA Rookie of the year win with his daughter 

After almost unanimously bagging the NBA Rookie of the year ward, Ja Morant celebrated the win with his daughter Kaari Jaidyn Morant. Morant's daughter, who turned a year-old last month, was seen dancing with her father in an adorable video posted by Memphis Grizzlies on their social media accounts. The duo also posed with Ja Morant's NBA Rookie of the Year award, with the one-year-old wearing the Grizzlies shirt. 

Despite his successes, Morant is not resting on his laurels and is determined to continue his excellent form next season. Speaking on NBA ROY win, the 21-year-old said that he wanted to find the person who voted against him. Ja Morant said that the one vote against him made him feel motivated for next season and thanked the person as it encouraged him to play better and do more for his team. 

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(Image Courtesy: NBA Twitter)