Ball wins NBA rookie of year honor

LaMelo Ball thought he would become NBA rookie of the year long before he joined the league.

That belief became a reality Wednesday night as Ball’s versatility as a passer, scorer and rebounder earned the Hornets point guard the honor despite missing 21 games with a fractured wrist.

Ball was the runaway winner, receiving 84 of the 99 first-place votes to beat out finalists Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves) and Tyrese Haliburton (Kings). The award was determined by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league.

The 6-foot-7 Ball was selected third overall in 2020 after briefly playing pro ball in Lithuania and Australia. He led all rookies with averages of 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game and was third with 15.7 points and 5.9 rebounds.

Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson, instrumental in the club’s acquisitions of Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic, is leaving the organization after 24 seasons. The Mavs and Nelson agreed to part ways, with owner Mark Cuban saying the 58-year-old son of Hall of Fame former coach Don Nelson was “instrumental to our success and helped bring a championship to Dallas.” Nelson joined the Mavs in 1998 when his dad was named coach . ... The Pelicans and coach Stan Van Gundy agreed to part ways. The Pelicans missed the postseason after finishing 10 games below .500. Van Gundy, 61, was hired in October before the start of a pandemic-delayed and shortened season. ... The Wizards won’t bring back coach Scott Brooks next season. Brooks, 55, led the Wizards to the playoffs three times in his five-year tenure, including this season. The Wizards lost to the Eastern Conference top-seeded 76ers in the first round.

College basketball: Jim Phelan, who won 830 games during nearly a half-century at Mount St. Mary’s, died. He was 92. Phelan spent his entire 49-season career at the Maryland school. He took the Mountaineers to 14 NCAA D-II Tournaments, including five trips to the Final Four and a national championship in 1962. After moving to DI, his teams made the NCAA Tournament in 1995 and 1999. He was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

NFL: The NFL and NFL Players Association updated COVID-19 protocols to loosen restrictions for fully vaccinated players and to encourage others to get the vaccine. Unvaccinated players must continue to get daily testing, wear masks and practice physical distancing. They won’t be allowed to eat meals with teammates, can’t participate in media or marketing activities while traveling, aren’t permitted to use the sauna or steam room and may not leave the team hotel or interact with people outside the team while traveling. Vaccinated players will not have any of those restrictions. Media access to the press box, field and sidelines, locker room and postgame interview room will be available only to media members who are fully vaccinated.

Soccer: Longtime captain Sergio Ramos will leave Real Madrid after 16 years and four Champions League titles. The 35-yearold defender failed to agree a new contract and will leave as a free agent. Ramos missed much of last season with injuries.