NEW YORK (REUTERS) — Cleveland Cavaliers guard LeBron James was crowned rookie of the year Tuesday as he capped a remarkable first season in the NBA in expected fashion.
The 19-year-old eclipsed teenage rival Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets by 508 points to 430 to become the youngest player to receive the honor.
Dwayne Wade of the Miami Heat placed a distant third with 117 points in balloting by NBA sportswriters and broadcasters.
James lived up to the unprecedented hype surrounding his arrival in the NBA, although statistically there was little to distinguish him from Anthony.
James averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game, joining Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only players to average more than 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in their rookie season.
His scoring average was the highest ever by a player jumping directly to the NBA from high school as he made the transition to the professional game as smoothly as he dribbles.
James also became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 or more points when he went for 41 against the New Jersey Nets last month.
Anthony, meanwhile, produced slightly higher numbers of 21.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and did something James could not do — steered his team into the playoffs.
Behind Anthony, taken second overall after James in last June’s drafts, the Nuggets went from 17 wins to 43 and into the postseason, where they are facing off against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With James the Cavaliers were also a vastly improved team, going from 17 wins to 35, but missed the playoffs (by a single game), finishing ninth in the Eastern conference behind the Boston Celtics.
For all his accomplishments on the court, James’s biggest numbers came away from the hardwood.
Armed with more than $120 million in endorsement deals even before taking his first shot in the NBA, James overnight became one of the NBA’s most recognizable and popular figures.
His jersey is the biggest seller in the NBA, while the once struggling Cavaliers were instantly transformed into one of the league’s biggest attractions, playing to sellout crowds at 33 of their 41 road games.
The NBA will hope the result of the vote will add fuel to a James-Anthony rivalry, but the players, who are close friends, have downplayed talk of competition for the spotlight.