CHICAGO, (Reuters) – Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose ended LeBron James’s two-year reign as the NBA’s most valuable player yesterday when he became the youngest winner of the sport’s highest individual honour.
Rose, who led the Bulls to the best record in the NBA this season, beat out perennial contenders James of the Miami Heat, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic. The 22-year-old All-Star, taken with the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, is the first Bulls player to capture the honour since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan claimed the last of his
five MVP awards in 1998.
Rose averaged a career-high 25 points and 7.7 assists this season while guiding the Bulls to a 62-20 record that earned them the top seed in the NBA playoffs.
