Bogdan Bogdanovic Named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team
May 22, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:28 am
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
by Matt George – Sports 1140 KHTK Reporter
Acquired from a trade with the Phoenix Suns on draft night in 2016, Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic found a lot of success in his NBA rookie season. The former Euroleague champion quickly became one of the major pieces of Sacramento’s rebuild, averaging 11.8 points per game on 44% shooting along with 3.3 assists and 2.9 rebounds.
Bogdanovic became a fan-favorite in Sacramento, winning over the crowd, and his teammates, with his high basketball IQ and unselfish play. Arguably the best floor-general and passer on the roster, it didn’t take long for the Serbian to work his way into the starting lineup, where he would remain for 52 of his 78 games played.
It was on NBA All-Star Weekend, during the Rising Stars Challenge, where Bogdanovic really made a name for himself in front of the national NBA audience.
Bojan Bogdanovic took home MVP honours last night on the Rising Stars game with 26 points off the bench! #RisingStar #KickstartRisingStars #NBAAllStar #NBA pic.twitter.com/Lew97Sahtl
— SportsbyFry (@sportsbyfry) February 17, 2018
Bogdanovic scored 26 points, including seven long-balls and six assists, leading Team World to a 155-124 victory of Team USA. He was named the Rising Stars MVP.
Now, Bogdanovic has earned even more national recognition, being named to the NBA All-Rookie seconds team.
NBA All-Rookie teams:
First team: Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum, Kyle Kuzma, Lauri Markkanen.
Second team: Dennis Smith Jr., Lonzo Ball, John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Josh Jackson.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 22, 2018
The Sacramento Kings are doing all they can to turn their franchise around after missing the playoffs for an NBA-leading 12th straight season. With successful players like Bogdanovic, and beating the odds by winning the 2nd pick in the 2018 NBA Draft Lottery, things are looking brighter than they have in a long time.