CLEVELAND — Editors Note: The video in the player above is from an unrelated story previously published.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward/center Evan Mobley has been named the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month. The first installment of the award for the 2021-22 NBA season recognizes the 20-year-old player's achievements for games played in October and November.
The No. 3 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, Mobley helped the Cavaliers go 11-6 in the 17 games he appeared in during the opening month and averaged 14.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.94 steals and 1.76 blocks in 33.8 minutes per game. He totaled 244 points, 136 rebounds, 42 assists, 16 steals and 30 blocks, becoming just the fourth NBA rookie in league history to accumulate those totals in his first 17 career games, joining Bill Walton, Mychal Thompson, and Chris Webber.
The USC product becomes the first Cavaliers rookie to win the monthly award since Dion Waiters did so in February 2013. Mobley is also just the seventh Cleveland player since 1981 to earn Rookie of the Month honors, joining Ron Harper (twice in 1986-87), Brad Daugherty (once in 1986-87), Carlos Boozer (once in 2002-03), LeBron James (six times in 2003-04), Kyrie Irving (three times in 2011-12) and Waiters (once in 2012-13).
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey won Rookie of the Month accolades for the Western Conference.
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