FIBA Basketball

    USA - Team USA's Paul makes history

    NEW YORK (NBA) - Team USA selection Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets has the distinction of being the only unanimous selection on the NBA All-Rookie Team, which was announced on Thursday.The favourite to win NBA Rookie of the Year honours, Paul received 29 First Team votes from a panel of the league's 30 coaches. Coaches could not vote for their own players

    NEW YORK (NBA) - Team USA selection Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets has the distinction of being the only unanimous selection on the NBA All-Rookie Team, which was announced on Thursday.

    The favourite to win NBA Rookie of the Year honours, Paul received 29 First Team votes from a panel of the league's 30 coaches. Coaches could not vote for their own players.

    The fourth overall pick of the 2005 draft out of Wake Forest, Paul averaged a rookie-best 16.1 points, 7.8 assists and 2.24 steals in 81 games for the Hornets, who surprisingly contended for a play-off spot until the final week of the season.

    His successfull season caught the eye of USA Basketball and earned him a place in the 23-man preliminary squad for the FIBA World Championship in Japan this summer.

    Paul is joined in the rookie team by giant Australian forward-center Andrew Bogut of the Milwaukee Bucks, who has averaged 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds in 82 games. He finished fifth overall in field goal percentage, sinking 323 of 606 shots.

    He also became only the fourth number one overall pick since 1985 to lead his side to the play-offs in his rookie year. The only other players to have achieved this are David Robinson, Tim Duncan and Chris Webber.

    Bogut, who is also heading to Japan with the Boomers, was the number one overall pick in the draft and received 26 votes.

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