The National Basketball Association announced Thursday that Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan has been named to the All-NBA Third Team. This is DeRozan’s first selection to the All-NBA team. He joins Vince Carter, Chris Bosh and Kyle Lowry as the only players in franchise history to receive the honour. Carter was named to the All-NBA Third Team in 2000 and Second Team in 2001. Bosh earned Second Team honours 2007. Lowry was named to the Third Team in 2016.
DeRozan averaged a career-high 27.3 points, fifth in the NBA, a career-high 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 35.9 minutes in 74 games. He shot .842 (545-for-647) at the foul line, while ranking fifth in the league in free throws made and tied for sixth in attempts. DeRozan scored 20-or-more points 61 times and 30-or-more a single-season franchise record 32 times. He became the first player to start a season with five consecutive 30-point games since Michael Jordan in 1986.
This season, DeRozan made his third All-Star Game appearance and first as a starter. He was selected as Eastern Conference Player of the Week three times (November 7-13, December 12-18 and January 9-15), becoming the first player in team history to earn the honour three times in the same season.
DeRozan became the franchise leader in scoring December 28 at Golden State and games played December 8 versus Minnesota.
Joining DeRozan on the All-NBA Third Team are Jimmy Butler (Chicago), Draymond Green (Golden State), DeAndre Jordan (L.A. Clippers) and John Wall (Washington).
The All-NBA Teams were chosen by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The media voted for All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams by position with points awarded on a 5-3-1 basis. Voters were asked to select two guards, two forwards and one center for each team, picking players at the position they play regularly. Players who received votes at multiple positions were slotted at the position where they received the most votes.