On Monday, Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns was named the 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year by a unanimous vote. Towns is the fifth player since the award debuted in 1952-53 to win unanimously, and the third in the past six years.
Towns was named the Rookie of the Month every month in the Western Conference this season, becoming the third center to be named Rookie of the Month for every month (David Robinson in 1989-90 and Ralph Sampson in 1983-84).
He is the ninth player overall to be named named Rookie of the Month every month, joining Damian Lillard (2012-13), Blake Griffin (2010-11), Chris Paul (2005-06), LeBron James (2003-04), Carmelo Anthony (2003-04) and Tim Duncan (1997-98).
Towns led all rookies in points per game (18.3), rebounds per game (10.5), double-doubles (51) and Player Efficiency Rating (22.6).
He became the 26th rookie in NBA history to average 18 points and 10 rebounds per game. Only two of those players had a higher field goal percentage than Towns: Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan.
Towns had 19 games with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds. The rest of the rookie class had nine such games. Kristaps Porzingis and Jahlil Okafor had the second-most with three.
Towns joins Andrew Wiggins (2014-15) as the only Timberwolves players to win Rookie of the Year. This is the first time a franchise had the Rookie of the Year in consecutive seasons since the Buffalo Braves in 1972-73 (Bob McAdoo) and 1973-74 (Ernie DiGregorio).
Towns is the first player from the University of Kentucky to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
