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Australian Ben Simmons joined the basketball kingship by winning the NBA rookie award of the year.
The 21-year-old Philadelphia 76ers star adds her name to a list of winners of the coveted award: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and Kevin Durant.
Australian Kyrie Irving also won the award in 2012.
The award is expected to be a tight race with Utah Jazz's Donovan Mitchell, but the release of the vote count revealed that Simmons won in a landslide.
"Wow," said Simmons, after a slow walk up to the stage during the ceremony in Los Angeles on Monday.
"I would like to thank my family and friends for starting.
"I would not be here without them."
James Harden of the Houston Rockets won the first prize of the ceremony, the NBA player of the year, in front of Anthony LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Anthony Davis of the Pelicans of New Orleans.
The other winners were Rudy Gobert (defensive player) of Jazz, Lou Williams (Sixth Man) of LA Clippers and Victor Oladipo (Most Improved) of Indiana Pacers.
Dwane Casey, fired by the Toronto Raptors despite the team that achieved the best record of the regular season at the NBA East Conference, ironically won the coach of the Toronto Raptors. ;year.
The great Oscar Robertson, to whom Simmons was compared, won the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Melbourne-born Simmons easily defeated Mitchell and the Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum to win the rookie gong.
US and Canadian media members decided on prizes, with 90 of them getting first place for Simmons, only 11 for Mitchell and none for Tatum.
Mitchell and other critics wondered if Simmons should be eligible for the award because they did not consider him a real recruit, but the vote by the best basketball reporters of the North America was strongly in favor of Simmons.
Simmons missed the entire 2016/17 season with a broken foot, but he stayed with the 76ers and worked with the team and coaches until he made his debut in the game last season.
Mitchell and Tatum were written in 2017.
Mitchell wore shirts with slogans igniting the debate and kept the beards on Monday when he arrived in a van for the ceremony with "ROOKIE?" on the side.
When Simmons, who was attending the ceremony without his girlfriend Kendall Jenner, was announced the winner, Mitchell rose from his seat and shook the Australian in his arms and Simmons was gracious behind the scenes of his rivals.
"I'm trying not to let the media exaggerate or fans or anything just because I know I'm doing what I love and doing what I can on the ground," he said. Simmons, asked about criticism.
"It does not take anything away from Jayson or Donovan.
"They had excellent, incredible and amazing seasons."
Simmons probably benefited from the date on which the votes had to be cast.
The deadline was in April at the end of the NBA regular season when Simmons led the 76ers, without injured star teammate Joel Embiid, on a winning streak of wins and regularly earned triple doubles.
Simmons, Mitchell and Tatum have been sensational in the playoffs, although the Australian was eventually exposed by the Celtics for his inability to make and take mid-range and three-point shots.
Tatum was the only rookie candidate who took his team to the final of the conference.
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